Kings Theatre development site. Rose Bay North. Front doors leading to atrium.
From July 1947 to November 1958, the Kings Theatre was co-owned by Peter Kosmas Sourry i Kotsifos and his brother-in-law, and fellow director of Dover Theatres Pty. Ltd., Alexander Andrew Coroneo i Psomas ("Alec").
"The building was sold in November 1958 to T I Mills and E A Mills and the theatre was remodelled to suit the needs of its new occupants Boyce Bros and Boyce Pty Ltd (ladies’ clothing manufacturer). All theatre equipment was disposed of and the auditorium was reconstructed to form a raw goods store and finished article packing space. It was officially gazetted as no longer a place of public entertainment on 5 February 1960. In more recent years, (80's and 90's)the former stalls area has been used for a greengrocery. Fortunately, the exterior remains virtually unaltered.
Now, nearly sixty years after its construction, its external appearance still sets it apart from its surroundings." - Ross Thorne & Kevin Cork, 1994:
In July 1997, Professor Ross Thorne wrote a report for Whoolhara Council, entitled Heritage Significance of the Building at 696 Old South Head Road.
Subsequently, Coles Myer Property Developments Ltd purchased and developed the site.
In 2003, Project Managers, Gerard Thomas and Associates, submitted a development application to Whoolhara Council.
Australia's second largest grocery chain Coles was to be the anchor tenant in the retail part of the development. 2 Commercial offices were incorporated into the development. The upper levels of the development included 9 residential units.
As part of the Development Application, Graham Brooks and Associates, Architects and Heritage Consultants, were commissioned to draft a Heritage Impact Assessment, which they presented to Council in January 2002.
www.gbaheritage.com
In March 2006, the development was completed, and Coles supermarket opened for business.
The Developer and the Heritage Architects have done extraordinarily well in maintaining the unique external appearance of the original Kings Theatre.
Compare this photograph with:
Kings Theatre, North Rose Bay, 1937
Kings Theatre, North Rose Bay, mid-1950's, with its Kytherian owners
Note the retention of the sweeping awning, the reinstatement of the "boxed" effect on the upper exterior (Dudley Road side), the sweep of the first storey windows, and the front doors and atrium leading into the store. Even the size and positioning of the new "Coles" sign, conforms to the size and positioning of the original "Kings" sign.
This attention to heritage details is replicated on the interior of the store. Configuration of flurescent lighting, central light fittings, patterns on architraves and ceiling have all been faithfully reproduced.
