11 June 2024
By Hannah Wilcox
Cremorne’s Hayden Orpheum has been placed on the NSW State Heritage Register following ongoing campaigning by Council in the community.
Locals have been pushing for the theatre to be recognised as a cultural landmark within NSW for years.
It was first identified as a local heritage item under the North Sydney Local Environment Plan in 2013, with Council resolving to nominate the Orpheum for inclusion on the State Heritage Register in November 2022.
“Council has been working, with the Cremorne Conservation Group and community-led action groups, to have the Orpheum listed on the State Heritage Register,” Mayor Zoe Baker said.
“Along with our planning team, we have supported community efforts to reach this outcome.”
Minister for Heritage Penny Sharpe recognised the theatre’s uniqueness as one of the last surviving examples of an art deco suburban theatre that is still used as a cinema today.
She moved to list the cinema on the register due to its importance in the cultural history of NSW; its rich art deco stylistic features, its association with renowned theatre architects, entrepreneurs and performers, its social value to the community and its potential to yield further information about the history of 20th century cinema.
Mayor Baker added: “We are thrilled that Minister Sharpe has recognised the special cultural and social significance of the theatre, as well as the wonderful art deco building.”
The historic art-deco cinema, originally built in 1935, is a key landmark in North Sydney’s cultural landscape.
Following the introduction of television in the 50s, the cinema’s popularity quickly declined which led to its closure in 1977.
Almost a decade later, the Oprheum was given a new chance at life when it was bought by Mike Walsh OBE AM to add to his Hayden Group of cinemas.
With the help of theatre designer John Love, it was restored and remodelled with attention to the original art deco design.
Today, it has evolved further with the addition of five more screens and hosting a variety of events including film festivals, live performances and film premieres.