the roxy theatre

We discovered this fantastic old theatre while doing laps of town trying to odtain vistor information. This theatre and the adjoining coffee shop are a step back in time. Our visit was limited to peering through windows as the lady in the visitors info centre was only interested in selling tickets to some show. Other comments here suggest it is possible to do a tour. If we ever return to Bingara that will be a priority.

We rode the bikes the short distance into town from our caravan park and did the famous tour of the Roxy Theatre. In a series of buildings that started out as a cafe in the 1920's, the Roxy was built by the three Greek immigrants who owned and ran Peter’s Café and opened in 1936 for an estimated cost of three hundred thousand dollars. Built in the art deco style, it was a building of great style and beauty but reality overpowered their dreams and they filed for bankruptcy in September of the same year. The cinema continued until 1958 when its projectors showed their last regular screening for the next 40 years. There were still the odd special occasion shows, including boxing matches but the grand old girl stood most vacant on the main street as a testament to another, more artist time.In 1998, Bingara Shire Council purchased the Roxy with a view to restoration of this aging asset. The Chinese restaurant continued to trade under a freehold licence in the café which was part of the building. A doctor’s surgery also operated out of an area beside the original foyer.Funding from the Commonwealth and State governments saw the Roxy reopened in 2004, her splendour restored but most of the original building and fittings intact. In its new life, the Roxy has become a cinema, performing arts centre and special purpose function space. Live music and local dramatic societies play here regularly, with Mike McClellan being a recent visitor. It was even used in the film “Charlie and Boots” in the scene when young Jess plays her song on the stage, supposedly on the Golden Guitar stage in Tamworth.Just this year, in April, the Roxy Museum was opened up: an interesting and clever combination of touch screens and memorabilia, including old movie posters and items of crockery from the time when the café first operated. Our guide, Jenny, was both informative and delightful, telling us many anecdotes of locals and local life and insider knowledge of the “old girl”. This would be the best $10 you could spend on local history, but given its cultural and architectural significance, it even more value for dollar.

Bingara's Roxy Theatre complex was an amazing surprise. This gem of Art Deco design is simply amazing

The theatre is straight out of the 1950s and has projectors and all the trappings of a theatre in that era. It was a trip back in nostalgia and time. Well worth a look.

This place has to be seen if you are traveling through Bingara. A retro theatre that was used in the movie Boots and Me. We went to a wedding reception there and the atmosphere was fantastic. The tourist information is set up just next door.