Strand Theatre Toowoomba is a picture theatre on Margaret Street that opened in 1916 and still shows movies today. The building is on the Queensland Heritage Register, and behind its street front it works as a modern cinema called Toowoomba Strand.
If you are searching for the Strand Theatre to see a film, it is the cinema at 163 Margaret Street, operated by Event Cinemas. If you came for the history, the facade, the turret and some of the original interior details are worth a look as well.
Is the Strand Theatre still open?
Yes. Event Cinemas lists Toowoomba Strand as a current cinema with session times and online booking. Sessions change weekly, so check the Event Cinemas Toowoomba Strand page for what is on and when.
The cinema runs the usual mix of new releases and family sessions, with offers such as half-price tickets for student members on Mondays and Half Price Tuesdays, plus sessions for under-fives and parents with babies. Offers change, so confirm them when you book.
A short history of the Strand
The three-storey brick building was built in 1915 and 1916 for Toowoomba alderman James Patrick Newman, who also owned the Crown Hotel next door. It was designed by Brisbane architect George Henry Male Addison. The top floor was built as extra accommodation for the hotel, reached by a staircase from it.
Film exhibitor Senora Spencer leased the theatre and named it the Strand after her theatres in Brisbane and Newcastle. It opened on 15 April 1916, with Gallipoli footage and the silent film Rags starring Mary Pickford, played with live music from the Strand Symphony Orchestra. The house filled so quickly that many people were turned away.
Sound equipment arrived in 1930. In 1933 the interior was remodelled in art moderne (Art Deco) style by Guy Crick, and the work went on while evening screenings continued. The stage was widened in the late 1950s for a CinemaScope screen.
In 1992 the Crown Hotel and an amusement centre next door were demolished and four small cinemas were built around the original auditorium, which became a large foyer. The same year the theatre was entered on the Queensland Heritage Register.
What to look for on the facade
The Margaret Street front has a large semi-circular arch at first floor level, with a quatrefoil window on either side. A turret with three circular leadlight windows sits over the entrance, and a statue of a woman holding a lamp stands in it. On the second floor, five arched windows carry Art Nouveau leadlight panels.
Inside, the original tessellated tiling survives in the ground floor foyer. The original pressed metal ceiling and cornices remain in the old auditorium, and the mezzanine foyer keeps its 1933 ceiling and wall grilles. The rooms off the upper corridor are sealed off, so the facade and foyer are the easiest parts to enjoy.
Food, drinks and facilities
The Strand has a licensed cafe and bar and a licensed foyer. Event Cinemas also lists a kids’ combo. The operator’s private hire page lists five cinemas, ranging from 79 to 243 seats, and a function space for 300 people if you are planning a group booking.
Planning your visit
- How long: a film session plus time to look at the facade and foyer. If you are only visiting the building, 15 to 30 minutes is plenty.
- Best time: session times change weekly, so pick one on the Event Cinemas site.
- Cost: ticket prices are on the Event Cinemas booking page. Student Monday and Half Price Tuesday offers are listed there.
- Groups: private hire enquiries go through Event Cinemas.
Getting there and parking at the Strand
Toowoomba is about 1 hour 50 minutes by car from Brisbane CBD, around 125 kilometres.
The cinema says parking is on surrounding streets or at the Neil Street council car park or the bus interchange car park, and that parking around it is paid council parking. Toowoomba Regional Council lists fees and maps on its pay stations and meters page and says the CBD has eight off-street parking facilities.
The Toowoomba Bus Station is on Neil Street, between Chronicle Lane and Bell Street Mall, and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Timetables are on translink.com.au or by calling 13 12 30.
Nearby
- Toowoomba City Hall – another landmark in the centre of town.
- Toowoomba Railway Station – more local history in the same part of the city.
- Queens Park, Toowoomba – a green break before or after a film.
- Cobb and Co Museum – more Toowoomba history if you are making a day of it.
- Empire Theatre, Toowoomba – the city’s other historic theatre, for live performances.
- More in the Toowoomba and Cinemas guides.
You might also like
- Palace Barracks (Petrie Terrace)
- Stones Corner (Brisbane)
- Carbrook (Logan)
Quick answers
Is the Strand Theatre in Toowoomba still open?
Yes. It operates as Toowoomba Strand, a cinema run by Event Cinemas at 163 Margaret Street, with sessions listed online.
Where is the Strand Theatre in Toowoomba?
On Margaret Street in the Toowoomba city centre, at number 163. Parking is on surrounding streets, in the Neil Street council car park or at the bus interchange car park.
How old is the Strand Theatre?
It opened on 15 April 1916, so it is more than a century old. It was entered on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1992.
Can you see inside the old theatre?
The ground floor foyer keeps its original tiling, the mezzanine foyer keeps its 1933 ceiling and wall grilles, and the old auditorium keeps its pressed metal ceiling and cornices. The rooms off the upper corridor are sealed off.
Is parking free near the Strand Theatre?
Parking around the cinema is paid council parking. Check Toowoomba Regional Council’s pay stations and meters page for current fees.
0 Comments