| Construction of the first
Belmore Markets begins
on a site bounded by Castlereagh, Hay, Pitt and Campbell.
They open 14th May 1869. |
 |
| Second Belmore
Markets (Capitol site) open. Used for theatrical
and circus performances on Saturday nights. |
| Council decides that the Tivoli
and the Capitol (two
theatres) would be erected on the sites of the old and
new Belmore Markets. |
| Wirth Bros take a 10
week lease on the new Belmore
Theatre for a ‘circus and hippodrome’.
The council claimed the auditorium could be used as hippodrome,
circus, theatre, opera house, concert hall, vaudeville
entertainment hall or for photo plays (early silent motion
pictures). |
Belmore
Markets dismantled and re-erected as the Hippodrome
– home of Wirth’s Circus in Australia. The
detail of the market walls were erected 10 metres higher.
|
 |
On April 3,
Wirth’s Circus and Hippodrome opens –
the largest
theatre in Australia.
The 13-metre ring in front of the proscenium arch had
a hydraulically operated floor which dropped to fill with
water for aquatic events.
Beneath the stage were animal pits. Part of the Hippodrome
show was an exhibition of numerous caged animals. At other
times, the Hippodrome
was used for dramatic stage shows, variety concerts, vaudeville
and, in fact, anything that attracted a large audience.
The Hippodrome failed
financially that same year. |
| Wirth’s
in negotiation with Stuart Doyle, MD of Union Theatres
plan to remodel the building as The
Capitol Picture Palace. |
 |
(June) Union Theatres
acquires the lease from Wirth's
and the
construction of The Capitol
begins within the walls of the Hippodrome,
Managing Director of Union Theatres, Stuart Doyle, has
plans for a chain of ‘atmospherics’ around
Australia to be known as ‘Million Dollar Theatres’. |
The
Capitol opens with a 2,999 seat auditorium. It
featured an
‘open air’ Florentine garden
surrounded by walls and balustrades, statues, tress, doves,
shawls and period furniture – all beneath a ‘blue
sky’ which darkened as session time approached.
When all was dark, stars began to twinkle in the ‘night
sky’ as fake clouds drifted overhead. Included
in the décor was a massive pergola across the
entire rear of the dress circle, from which clung vines
and ferns.
Statues throughout were replicas of famous European
works of art. The courtyard at the entrance to the back
stalls was an exact replica of the courtyard of the
Pitti Palace in Florence.
More than 23,000 people attended in the first two days.
|
 |
|
Overture, featuring CAPITOL ORCHESTRA plus WURLITZER
ORGAN; NEWS & VIEWS OF THE WORLD; FEATHERS, a colour
study; TODDLERS, a Paramount novelty featurette; On
Stage, TED HENKEL & HIS BAND.
Intermission, FRED SCHOLL at the mighty WURLITZER, OPERATIC
INTERVAL interlude from Mignon.
Main Feature: “HIS LADY” starring John Barrymore
& Dolores
Costello, musical score by Ted Henkel.
|
|
| (April 20th) The first ‘talkie’
film is screened – ‘Beware of Bachelors’ |
|
The theatre runs into financial difficulties
and films are scarce.
Also, the central shopping district moves to the other
end of town, and the Depression hits hard forcing The
Capitol to close on November 24th.
|
|
(April) Capitol
reopens, with 2 Australian productions from Efftee Studios.
No orchestra – only the Wurlitzer played by Billy
Dick. The orchestra pit is filled with pot plants and
a fountain.
|
|
By the early to mid 30s through to
WW2 the Theatre had gained a reputation for lesser quality
films (horror and westerns). Special guests appear from
the Tivoli. There is
an upturn in box office receipts, but a downturn in theatre
maintenance - Lighting effects were not repaired, cloud
machines stood motionless, the famous blue lighting around
the wall started to fade away. The Theatre was in a sad
state of disrepair.
|
|
The Capitol
closes for ‘makeshift’ repairs. Workman remove
unwanted decorations such as banners, tapestries, artificial
foliage and those lighting effects which weren’t
working simply had their wiring cut.
In March The Capitol
re-opens as a first release house using
Dianna Durban as a drawcard.
|
|
From the late 40s through to the early
50s it was obvious that the first release policy was a
failure. Electricity bans force more lights off.
The famous organ is closed down in October 1947. The theatre
begins to experiment with Jazz Concerts and Beach Girl
contests.
The theatre is threatened with demolition to allow construction
of the Eastern Suburbs Railway. |
|
| Greater Union attempts to resurrect
theatre for first release films. |
|
| (August) Australian
Opera moves to The
Capitol with ‘Othello’ for
3-months after Her Majesty’s theatre is destroyed
by fire.
A new aspect emerges about The
Capitol – it has perfect acoustics and
sightlines providing the audience with an amazing new
visual and sound experience. The ‘Sydney
Morning Herald’ and ‘Australian’
newspapers praise the acoustics.
(September) Lord Mayor requested meeting with G.U.,
J.C.W., Aust. Eliz. Theatre Trust, Empire Talkies &
NCT Productions to discuss future of theatre. Greater
Union was granted a lease for 3 years from 02/012/70
on understanding that they spend not less than $150,000
on repairs and renovations.
|
|
(21st December) Harry M. Miller takes
over lease for ‘Jesus
Christ
Superstar’. Paid $2,000 per week. Re-equipped
stage and generally tidied up inside, installing drink
bars in rear of back stalls where seats were removed.
Housed orchestra in several ‘bunkers’ under
stage connected by TV monitors. The external of the Theatre
was painted ‘Superstar’
brown.
|
|
(February) The massive 3/15 Wurlitzer
plays its last tune.
It’s dismantled and is eventually re-erected at
Orion Theatre, Campsie in 1988.
|
|
(29th February) Greater Union vacates
Capitol after over 40
years of lease. Harry M. Miller takes over lease for ‘J.C.
Superstar’
|
|
A 2 year success for ‘Jesus
Christ Superstar’ makes it the most
successful stage presentation in Sydney’s history
– but then the
theatre again goes dark and falls into disrepair.
|
|
| Hoyts lease theatre for sexploitation
films. |
|
| The Capitol
Theatre is classified by the National Trust. |
|
| (4th May) ‘Telegraph’
Sydney City Council advertises for tenders for The
Capitol.
(September) Bill Shopov takes 2 year lease for $2,000
per year plus $30,000 rates to use the theatre for rock
venue.
|
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Various rock concerts and rock videos.
|
|
Sydney City Council attempts to interest
developers in the site and at one time proposed the construction
of a modern lyric theatre to replace the crumbling
Capitol. Ian Hanson and members of A.T.H.S. approach
council for inspection of theatre.
Mike Walsh from SUN backs Capitol
renovations.
|
|
Sydney Morning Herald – letter
from Noel Ferrier says pull Capitol
down.
|
|
Used as film set for ‘Les Patterson
Saves the World’, ‘Those Dear Departed’
and ‘Nellie Melba’, plus various commercials
and rock clips.
The theatre begins to slowly decay, speeded up in 1988
by leaking box gutters which have caused damage to side
walls and sections of plaster.
|
|
| Placed on National Estate by Heritage
Commission. |
|
New State Government and new Council
Administration makes firm commitment to restoring The
Capitol and returning it to live theatre.
|
|
(January) Sydney City Council calls
for tenders to redevelop The
Capitol area, conditional to restoring theatre.
|
|
(24th January) The
Capitol Theatre reopens to widespread acclaim for
its magnificent restoration and facilities, continuing
more than 100 years of entertainment tradition on the
site.
Some guests, who had attended the original opening night
in 1928, said it looked even better in 1995.
The restoration and extensions into a lyric theatre, including
new galleries and back stage facilities cost $35 million.
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