Montreal Community Theatre, Heritage-listed cinema in Tumut, Australia
The Montreal Community Theatre is a heritage-listed cinema in Tumut on Russell Street featuring a characteristic 1920s street front with a cantilevered awning and decorative glass panels. Its interior preserves a geometric vault ceiling and a proscenium arch above the stage.
The cinema was constructed between 1929 and 1930 according to designs by architects Kaberry and Chard, commissioned by businessman John J. Learmont. The theater's name is an anagram of the commissioning businessman's surname.
The theater served as a gathering place where locals from the surrounding area came together to watch films and spend time with one another. It held particular importance for young people from Brungle Mission who regularly traveled here for entertainment.
The cinema is located on Russell Street and continues to operate as a functioning theater with many original details visible throughout. Visitors can explore the foyer with its white tiles and view the well-preserved seating arrangement in the auditorium.
The building was designed in the Inter-war Stripped Classical style and displays geometric forms in its ceiling design. This architectural approach was unusual for regional Australian towns, making it a rare example of this design period in the area.
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