The Pioneer Theatre, also known as "Pioneer Walk-In Theatre" and "Snow Kenna's Walk-In Picture Theatre", was a theatre in the Northern Territory of Australia located in Alice Springs. The building was built by Leslie 'Snow' Kenna in 1942 and closed, as a theatre, in 1984 and operated as YHA Alice Springs.
- Venue
- Pioneer Theatre
- Town
- Northern Territory, AU
The Pioneer Theatre, also known as "Pioneer Walk-In Theatre" and "Snow Kenna's Walk-In Picture Theatre", was a theatre in the Northern Territory of Australia located in Alice Springs. The building was built by Leslie 'Snow' Kenna in 1942 and closed, as a theatre, in 1984 and operated as YHA Alice Springs. In 2025, the property was sold and the Alice Springs YHA ceased operating under that name. It now operates as Red Rock Hostel. Leslie Kenna, known almost universally as Snow, arrived in Alice Springs in the latter half of 1936 with motion picture equipment and “a tonne of nitrate picture film”. Kenna very soon started showing movies at the Welfare Hall before the Capitol Theatre was opened by his friend, and landlord Ly Underdown who Kenna leased it from. Movies were a very important part of the social life of people in Alice Springs at this time; especially because. from 1928 - 1964 Aboriginal people were only allowed into the "town-limits" during daylight hours for medical attention, and only to attend "the pictures" in the evenings. In 1942 Kenna built his own theatre, Pioneer Theatre, on Parsons Street, which had no roof as there was no air-conditioning in town and this, in combination with the deck chairs provided, kept keep people cool. In winter, when minus temperatures are reached, people brought blankets, hot water bottles and flasks of coffee. Frequently dogs, from the outlying town-camps, wandered into the Theatre with their Aboriginal owners and provided an entertainment of their own. 1955; The Alice Springs premiere of the film Jedda, an Australian classic which starred local girl Rose Kgarla Kunoth (later known as Rosalie Kunoth-Monks) and much of the film was shot in Central Australia. 1956; The 'bush' premiere of A Town Like Alice which was partially filmed in Alice Springs. This was apparently a very relaxed occasion and, during the intermission, Arrernte men from Hermannsburg, sung in the Arrernte language; it was said that "Hollywood would have b