Dux Theatre

Located in the inner city district of Albert Park, South Melbourne. A Presbyterian Church was built at this address opening in January 1885. By 1911 well know architects Messrs., Ashworth & Oakley of St. Kilda Road, Melbourne had submitted a proposal on behalf of Mr. H.A. Kent to convert the church into a public hall for the purpose of biograph entertainment, of which the council had no objection save for a few stipulations for its conversion.

A report from an officer of the fire brigade outlined a few fundamental problems with the building, which was constructed entirely of wood and comprised of an auditorium about 60ft x 50ft with raised platform. In the front there is a lofty wooden tower or belfry, above which is a lantern room. The building was originally designed by an architect from South Melbourne by the name of Buckhurst.

The Dux Picture Theatre emerged and opened for business in the presence of a packed audience on 29th June 1912 who experienced an opening overture by the Dux Orchestra, comprising of Melbourne’s leading musicians, under the conductorship of Mr. Will Finlay. The owner Mr. H.A. Kent, in conjunction with Mr. T.A. Ashworth was congratulated by Mr. G. Emille MLA for his vision and industry and expressed hope that the theatre would meet with success and accordingly declared the theatre open. The building is made of brick and cost nearly £1,006.00. The main hall covers an area of 3,550 square feet, and the gallery 1,000 square feet. The seating capacity accommodates 1,700 persons. Half of the seating in the main hall consists of folding wooden seats, the balance being of Karri pine. The gallery is furnished with upholstered tip-up seats having cast iron frames. Beneath the stairway is the motor room fitted with a 10-horsepower emergency generator, while the bio box contained the latest Kalee projector. The floor of the bio box is raised 7ft above the main floor, thus the lens of the machine is brought level with the centre of the screen for maximum focus. The picture screen is mounted on the back wall of the stage so that the eye strain is reduced for those sitting in the front row.

The floor is of New Zealand pine so that it is suitable for dancing. The stage stretches the full width of the theatre so that it can be used for live entertainment, while there are dressing rooms and toilets for this purpose.

The Dux Theatre was running an excellent box-office and it was decided to build an open-air theatre in Victoria Street, Albert Park (behind the tram-way sheds). The Dux Open Air Theatre opened on 27th October 1915 with 4 of the finest programmes: This venue would seat an amazing 5,000 people. In 1921 it was decided to renovate and there was a grand re-opening on 5th November 1921. The open-air theatre would screen consistently from 1915 until 1926 before closing. After the death of the principal Mr. A,H. Kent, the property would be sold by auction on July 11, 1936.

The Duz Theatre hardtop would initially run from 1912 to 1918 programmed by the owner. During 1919 kent was approached by Hoyts Theatres Ltd. with the intention of leasing. Hoyts would run the theatre from 1919 until 1926 as part of their circuit. Suddenly, Hoyts would pull the plug and the theatre went dark. The theatre, except for the occasional dance and a place for storage would remain dark and was kept closed until well after 1936. It also appears to have been a popular platform for meetings and presentations for the folk of Albert Park, Middle Park and South Melbourne. With congregations coming togdether for events such as swimming carnival presentations, to hearing Alfred Deakin speak on behalf of a Liberal candidate during an early election. There is no evidence that the Dux Theatre was ever fitted for sound - Note - Hoyts Park Theatre was opened at Albert Park, melbourne, on 24th December 1939..

Mr Kent’s involvement in the Dux Theatre became less when he would strain his heart in an incident with a difficult horse, and had been invalided ever since. An urgent sale would be held to sell his horse holdings. His funeral took place on 25th November 1935 and his remains were laid to rest in the Roman Catholic compartment of the Coburg Cemetery.

The Dux Theatre property was offered for sale with other assets by his son Roy Kent through Messrs. Richards, Young & Co., however when offered for auction on 15th July 1936 it was contended by the applicants that for some years the old theatre had become an eyesore and a haunt for squatters. On the day of the auction the property was passed in as the offers did not reach the reserve of £2,000.

Moving forward….The building would be sold in 1979 at $66,250 and subsequently used for a time as a studio for filming commdercials as well as an advertiseing agency.

In conclusion:- The building has been bought by the producers of the TV series “The Block”, known as Watercress Productions for $5.85 million from Alston Post Pty. Ltd, during 2013. This is a company associated with property developer Mr. Lloyd Williams. Watercress Productions would then make an application to VCAT seeking to refit the building as six large dwellings over four levels to an Allen Powell-architect design. This would be promoted through a national TV series known as “The Block”.

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