The historic Australia Cinema 4 in Orange has been completely gutted, new photos reveal. Work on its transformation into a luxury hotel continues.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Doors were removed this week, showing all stairs and seating tiers have been removed on the 1222 square metre block. An original mountain mural can be seen on the back wall. The "Now Showing" sign is also gone.
Work has ramped up significantly in 2023. The development was approved in 2021 but by January, 2023 most internal fitting were still in place.
On Tuesday Orange City Council confirmed the original hotel plans are going ahead. When complete, the $4.35 million project is slated to comprise 31 rooms, a cafe, restaurant, shops, and function centre.
Asbestos removal trucks and demolition machinery arrived in late October or early November, 2022. It's unclear when the hotel is likely to open.
Planning documents lodged in 2019 show a rear L-shaped section of the building will be demolished and replaced. The cinema's historic facade will be largely retained.
A public wall garden will open in the laneway running adjacent to the cinema. A three-storey void above the lobby is also planned.
Approval has been granted for up to 74 parking spaces. About 50 are listed in the plans, however "guests will be encouraged to use the nearby council Ophir car park."
The building at at 183 Lords Place was constructed as 'Australia Hall' in 1866 by James Dalton Junior to provide a venue for visitors from Ireland, according to historian Liz Edwards.
Conversion to a cinema took place sometime in the mid-20th century. The final films screened in 2010.
Orange Evangelical Church bought the land the following year and received DA approval to build a new complex in 2014 These plans were scrapped, with a new site on Cottonwood Way favoured. The groups new church opened in 2022.
REF Group Pty Ltd pitched the hotel development proposal for the Australia Cinema 4 in December 2019. Council approval was granted in October 2021.
Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.