Multimillion-dollar plan to save one of SA’s oldest cinemas
One of the state’s oldest cinemas would be transformed under multimillion-dollar plans to future-proof the art deco treasure for its 100th birthday. But it all hinges on government help. See the pictures.
The art deco Regal Theatre in Kensington would receive a $7.74 million facelift in new City of Burnside plans – but the council is now calling for extra government funding to make the project happen ahead of the 2026 State Election.
Burnside Council CEO Julia Grant handed Dunstan MP Cressida O’Hanlon a petition on Wednesday signed by hundreds of residents supporting the planned refurbishment, as the council looks to upgrade the historic theatre so it would survive a one-in-100-year earthquake.
There would be two new double-story extensions to the east and north sides of the theatre for new bathrooms, a green room and upgraded services in the hopes of staging live performances in the future.
Asked if the renovations were to make the single-screen theatre on Kensington Road more profitable, Grant said that “councils rarely run things like theatres and make lots of money”.
“Things like arts and culture are so important to the community and sometimes they’re not the best profit-making things, but they’re really fundamentally important as part of our cultural efforts and things that people value about living where we live,” she said.
The renovation plan comes as the Regal Theatre celebrates its 100th anniversary next week, with the Burnside Council claiming it as the oldest continuously running cinema in South Australia.
Originally known as the Princess Theatre, the Regal Theatre opened on November 24, 1925 and was designed by renowned Adelaide architect Christopher A. Smith.
It was later remodelled in 1941 by F. Kenneth Milne in the art deco style and was added to the State Heritage Register in 1983.
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Art Deco and Modernism Society of Australia chair and Adelaide chapter president David O’Loughlin said that the Regal Theatre is “an excellent representation of the art deco style”.
“Every theatre that wanted to be successful adopted the new art deco style simply to look like they were up to date, and therefore, you could rely upon them having the latest movies out of Hollywood or Europe, rather than a rundown, older-looking theatre where you might think they’re not just up to speed,” he said.
O’Loughlin said the Art Deco and Modernism Society is fully supportive of plans to revitalise the cinema.
“We’re happy to support minor modifications where they lead to improved revenue for the owners of heritage-listed buildings because revenue is so important to maintain the building in the style that we all want to see,” he said.
Under plans submitted for review by the City of Burnside Assessment Panel, the cinema would “undergo interior renovations to suit the existing heritage fabric, seismic and DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) upgrades”.
A project statement from architecture firm Stallard Meek Flightpath Architects said that “two new double story extensions to the east and north sides of the theatre will accommodate new bathrooms, a green room and upgraded services for the future of live performances”.
“The theatre building will be wrapped in a supportive structure that will be integrated with architectural detailing designed to match the language of the existing theatre without detracting from the main south heritage façade,” the statement continued.
According to planning documents, the proposed renovation was designed in collaboration with Heritage SA and with reference to the Regal Theatre’s conservation plan.
Grant said it was a “balancing act” to preserve historic features of the building while updating it for 21st-century needs.
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She said that many small theatres had disappeared in South Australia and that “we really believe they’re very precious”.
“We really feel that we need to really advocate for it and to keep it, preserve it, develop it and to make it far more accessible and well-suited just for the future, really,” she said.
Plans would include “seismic” structural upgrades and partial demolition works, as well as the installation of an LED screen sign and roof-mounted solar panels.
An existing cottage would be renovated and converted into a shop, while there would also be upgraded carparking, new acoustic fencing and retaining walls, landscaping and the removal of six regulated trees.
A report from Adelaide Arb Consultants recommended the removal of the trees for various reasons, including structural, health and safety issues, while others would be affected by “stem conflict”.
“We always try to maintain as many trees as we possibly can, and when we can’t, then we have to grow more,” said Grant.
Burnside Council has so far received a $2.43 million funding commitment from the Federal Government, with the council now seeking matched funding from the State Government.
The council would also fund a third of the project under its proposed plans.
Grant said that the council had pulled together an advocacy plan for priority projects ahead of the 2026 State Election, including the refurbishment of the Regal Theatre.
“This is a time where they’re looking for things to influence voters, so we put up a project that we think our community are really passionate about, and that’s something that we hope that the government, or whoever forms government, would like to commit funding to,” she said.
She said that if the council was not successful in getting funding from the State Government, it would consider financing the rest of the project itself or look for other grant opportunities.
Grant said that the priorities of the renovation were to make the building accessible for people with disabilities, to have a permanent stage for Adelaide Fringe and SALA shows, and to build a green room for artists and performers.
She said the council was “pretty confident” that the project would be approved by the assessment panel, adding that the renovation would need to be finished by 2027 to meet the funding requirements of the Federal Government.
“We’re literally getting all our ducks lined up. So, if we get that funding commitment, we can pretty much get cracking on the project,” she said.
