Paragon Theatre, cinema in Queenstown, Tasmania, Australia
Paragon Theatre is a restored Art Deco cinema from 1933 featuring hand-painted marble-pattern flooring and seating for only 60 people in an intimate setting. The interior retains the elegant design of that era, with original projectors and period details still visible throughout the space.
The Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company built this cinema in 1933, opening it with a Mae West film in the fall of that year. Over the following decades, the building served different purposes before returning to its role as an entertainment venue.
The venue served as a massive cinema for many years before being repurposed as an indoor sports space, then later as a cultural screening room for environmental content. This transformation reflects how the community adapted the space to meet different needs over time.
Visitors can explore the building on their own, discovering six interpretive stations with original equipment and historical items throughout the space. Plan for about an hour to view the exhibits and take in the cinema hall properly.
The entire floor uses hand-painted patterns designed to mimic marble rather than actual stone, a clever and economical decorative solution from that era. This painted technique creates a surprisingly convincing illusion of luxury flooring throughout the cinema.
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