Theatre Royal — Winton, New Zealand
Posted by: 
Dunbar Loop
S 46° 08.647 E 168° 19.557
59G E 293483 N 4886463
Built in 1927, this cinema served a prosperous farming community until the late 1970s.
Waymark Code: WM7CZR
Location: South Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 10/07/2009
Views: 4
Completed in 1927 the Royal Theatre served the agricultural community of Winton as a movie theatre until it closed in 1970s. Since then there have been the odd business such as Bill's Trading Company. Plus upstairs is the town's dentist who took over the practice in 1973.
According to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust:
The Theatre Royal, built in 1927 by local firm Balch Brothers, was one of two theatres in town, the other being the Radio Hall. The Theatre Royal had two shaped auditorium floors and it seated 750. It was fitted for both live and cinematic performances. As a film venue it suffered a downturn with the increasing popularity of television in the 1960s. The Theatre Royal closed as a venue around 1978.
Sadly last year, new owners gutted the seats and cleaned out the theatre in an effort to create a mini-mall. However, the economic recession has put that project on hold.