Last Surviving Neon
The Princess Theatre in Brisbane Street, Launceston, is a fascinating place and for those interested I'll put some history below. But the real point of this photograph is in the title.
There is a classic little video from the 1960s which shows Launceston to be a bustling little city, full of manufacturing industries, rail services and very busy shopping in the CBD. Just about all those things have now gone (as they have in most regional centres in Australia).
Launceston in the 1960s:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlklnP25_2A
One of the signs of the times, is that the PRINCESS neon sign which lights up from top to bottom letter by letter, is now the last survivor in a city that used to boast many neon signs outside shops. If you come into the CBD these days you are surprised by how dark everything is.
And for someone who loves neon, that is a real pity. But try getting the local council, which is more interested in banning Australia Day for PC reasons, to promote a vibrant city culture is like trying to wake the dead.
According to the Tasmanian Arts Guide, here is an interesting short history of the theatre: "The elegant historic Princess Theatre is located in the heart of Launceston. It is managed by Theatre North at the Princess, and hosts a diverse annual program of professional performing arts from around Australia. The theatre can seat over 1000 people and is also used for conferences and conventions.
The theatre was originally designed and built by Mr Marino Lucas, a vaudeville entrepreneur from Hobart. The backstage area was still incomplete when the theatre opened in 1911, so instead of live shows, silent films were shown. This proved to be so lucrative that the Theatre operated as a cinema until 1970. In 1939, when the Princess was leased to Hoyts, extensive renovations were undertaken with the facade and the foyers being completely redesigned in the art deco style.
The Princess Theatre was purchased by the Launceston City Council and opened as a live venue (its original purpose) to great fanfare on 16 November that year with a gala performance by the Australian Ballet."
Last Surviving Neon
The Princess Theatre in Brisbane Street, Launceston, is a fascinating place and for those interested I'll put some history below. But the real point of this photograph is in the title.
There is a classic little video from the 1960s which shows Launceston to be a bustling little city, full of manufacturing industries, rail services and very busy shopping in the CBD. Just about all those things have now gone (as they have in most regional centres in Australia).
Launceston in the 1960s:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlklnP25_2A
One of the signs of the times, is that the PRINCESS neon sign which lights up from top to bottom letter by letter, is now the last survivor in a city that used to boast many neon signs outside shops. If you come into the CBD these days you are surprised by how dark everything is.
And for someone who loves neon, that is a real pity. But try getting the local council, which is more interested in banning Australia Day for PC reasons, to promote a vibrant city culture is like trying to wake the dead.
According to the Tasmanian Arts Guide, here is an interesting short history of the theatre: "The elegant historic Princess Theatre is located in the heart of Launceston. It is managed by Theatre North at the Princess, and hosts a diverse annual program of professional performing arts from around Australia. The theatre can seat over 1000 people and is also used for conferences and conventions.
The theatre was originally designed and built by Mr Marino Lucas, a vaudeville entrepreneur from Hobart. The backstage area was still incomplete when the theatre opened in 1911, so instead of live shows, silent films were shown. This proved to be so lucrative that the Theatre operated as a cinema until 1970. In 1939, when the Princess was leased to Hoyts, extensive renovations were undertaken with the facade and the foyers being completely redesigned in the art deco style.
The Princess Theatre was purchased by the Launceston City Council and opened as a live venue (its original purpose) to great fanfare on 16 November that year with a gala performance by the Australian Ballet."