Windback Wednesday - Chelsea Cinema

The Princess Theatre (today known as the Regal Theatre) opened in 1925. Three years later Ozone Amusements purchased the theatre following the liquidation of the previous owners, National Theatres. Hoyts purchased the theatre in 1951, before Burnside Council then purchased the theatre in 1964 to prevent it from being demolished. Hoyts continued to lease the Ozone until 1971.

It was then that a new era began for the theatre. Wallis Cinemas took over the lease for the Ozone Theatre and renamed it the Chelsea Cinema. In 1983, the Chelsea Cinema was added to the State Heritage Register for its significance "as a rare example of an Art Deco cinema and for being a notable example of an intact cinema interior representing an era when cinema-going was a major recreational activity and impressive cinema interiors were part of making a night at the pictures a memorable experience".

In 1984, Burnside Council secured a grant under the Community Employment Programme and renovated the cinema. The number of seats was reduced from 1145 to 585, and a new floor, screen, carpet and acoustic equipment were added along with a fresh coat of paint.

In 2009, the City of Burnside received enquiries as to whether it would be prepared to sell the Chelsea Cinema. A number of options were investigated, and the decision was made to run an Expression of Interest process for the sale of the site. However, strong activism from the community-run "Save the Chelsea" campaign led Council to abandon the sale process, opting instead to continue to lease the cinema to private operators.

Later that same year, the City of Burnside implemented a Conservation Management Plan for the Chelsea Cinema.

Photographs: Chelsea Cinema c.1980, Chelsea Cinema c.2000. Burnside Local History Collection.