18/12/2025
100 YEARS YOUNG
From silent films and Saturday matinees to roller-skating, rock gigs and sell-out shows — Thirroul’s beloved theatre has lived many lives.
Built in 1925 as Kings Theatre, the venue once packed in 1500 locals for double-feature nights, Tom & Jerry cartoons and the arrival of the “talkies”, making history as the first community venue in Australia to screen The Rainbow Man.
By the late ‘60s it traded film reels for roller skates, becoming a go-to hangout through the ‘70s and ‘80s (think teased hair, Wham tees and “Hey Mickey” blasting across the rink).
After years of uncertainty, a major restoration in 2007 transformed the space into Anita’s Theatre — now a landmark for touring artists from Suzi Quatro and Neil Finn to Lime Cordiale and The Wiggles.
A century on, this grand old building remains at the heart of Thirroul’s cultural life — holding memories from every era and still making new ones.
