Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to pay tribute to the Regal Cinema at Birmingham Gardens, a Newcastle institution that has been reborn. I especially want to congratulate Friends of the Regal, the community group behind the recent reopening of the cinema, for the two National Trust Heritage Awards they received earlier this month. The first award was for their 7½-year advocacy campaign, which led to the reopening of the cinema; and the second award was in the built heritage category, for the actual renovation of the building.

The Regal Cinema first opened in 1950 and had a loyal patronage of more than 34,000 a year. For many years, it was a one-person commercially operated single-screen cinema that showed a unique mix of new, old, foreign and art-house films, frequently with extended seasons. Despite the hard work of Friends of the Regal, the cinema sadly shut in October 2006, in need of extensive refurbishments and repairs. The next 7½ years were tough, but the loyal and determined Friends of the Regal never gave up and, in February this year, their goal was finally realised with the grand reopening of this wonderful cinema.

Following a very long tradition of introducing each film that is screened at the Regal, this Saturday I will have the pleasure of introducing the special Reconciliation Week screening of Robyn Davidson's memoir, Tracks. Like Tracks, the reopening of the Regal Cinema is an epic Australian story. I thank Friends of the Regal for their tremendous efforts to retain this wonderful heritage-listed community-based cinema in Newcastle. Long live the Regal.