Английская Википедия:Central Hall, Little Collins Street

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In August 1928 the Collins Street Baptist Church (built 1852) was demolished to make way for a nine-storey building, at 203 Little Collins Street, midway between Swanston and Russell streets.

The land was owned by the Baptist church, and leased to Victoria Palace Ltd., who constructed the building. They left the ground and mezzanine floors to the church, and contributed £5,000 of the estimated £11,000 required to fit it out as a public hall and recreational facilities. Designed to seat 350 persons, it was envisaged that the hall would be used by the church for concerts, meetings, and lectures, and for screening films. The remainder of the building was to be used by Victoria Palace Ltd. as hotel-style accommodation.

The Central Hall, occupying much of its ground floor, was officially opened on 4 October 1928. Small businesses occupied part of the Little Collins Street frontage, and entrance to the Hall was next to the Victoria Coffee Palace, c. 211–219 Little Collins Street (also on Church grounds).

The space operated as a cinema between 1942 and 1968, much of that time under the name the Grosvenor Theatre. When the cinema closed, it was converted into a car park for the Victoria Hotel.

Examples of use

The range of uses for the hall was wide:

• Francis Birtles' docudrama of Aboriginal life Coorab in the Island of Ghosts, introduced by Eldred Pottinger
• Films King of Kings paired with Albert Brandon-Cremer's Nursery Rhymes
• Demonstrations of Physical Culture by Aaron Beattie's pupils
• Old-time minstrels and glee singers' concert, sponsored by radio station 3DB
• Self-improvement lectures by Elsie Lincoln Benedict
• Extra-ordinary general meeting of Hoyts (re-amalgamation with Fox Film Corp.)
• Professional artists' concerts (patrons: Sir John Grice, Sir William Brunton and Sir John Monash) directed by J. Alexander Browne, baritone
• Noël Coward's Hay Fever, presented by the (amateur) Proscenium Players
• Community singing
• Annual meeting of the Country Women's Association