Venue: Burnie Theatre
Town: Burnie, AU

The Burnie Theatre was a historic theatre in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia. The theatre, adjoining town hall, Burnie Institute and Public Library were all converted into a large FitzGerald's department store by 1978 and completely demolished in 2009. In 1879, a small town hall was built on the intersection of Mount Street and Cattley Street. When a larger town hall building was erected next door, the original hall was converted into the larger hall's stage area, opening as the Town Hall Theatre in 1888. A second story was constructed was in 1908 and by 1913 the Emu Bay Council was operating the live performance space as the Burnie Theatre, although it was often referred to as the "Municipal Theatre" or "Civic Theatre" in print to create separation between the theatre and the township's namesake. The theatre was screening silent movies by 1918 and on 31 December 1929 screened its first talkie, The Broadway Melody. On the cusp of the Great Depression in Australia, cinematic amusements including the screening of newsreels became increasingly popular. The Emu Bay Council hired renown Launceston architect Frank Heyward to renovate and expand the premises in 1929. The theatre underwent massive renovations in January 1931, which saw all cinema screenings transferred to the adjoining Town Hall. At a cost of £A10,000, the theatre reopened in a Spanish Colonial Revival style on 5 September 1931 with seating for 1,500 patrons. The façade included patterned tiling, wrought-iron features, decorative parapet, two new shopfronts and the erection of neon signage. Interiors included lead-light windows, wood-carved banisters, Wunderlich ceilings and advanced atmospheric lighting. The design was constructed from all-Australian materials, then standard practice in municipal works. The renovations also included upstairs gallery and improved internal access to the Town Hall. The council held a separate tender for the construction of a concrete and steel projection box to best contain the f