Plaque outside the Orroroo Institute
Image author's own.
In July 1920 the Quorn Mercury reported that Mr JH McDougall had recently returned to Orroroo from the city where he had been delving into the mysteries of moving pictures and films with an idea to bring them to Orroroo ('Our Orroroo Letter' 9 July 1920). And, by August 1920 Mr McDougall had indeed brought silent films to Orroroo (Parnell N, 1975. p. 104). This was three years before Orroroo would even be connected to mains electricity ('Electric Light for Orroroo;the opening function', The Register Adelaide, 29 August 1923).
McDougall choose the institute as the venue to show the films. There was seating for 250 patrons ( 1924, 'Gus Dieppe on Tour', Everyones vol.4 no. 225, p. 5, 25 June). McDougall showed films once a week on a Saturday evening, and it appears that it was a success with him telling the magazine Everyones in 1926 that 'the flicker ship is still sailing along' (1926, A Breath from Orroroo; dancing and motion pictures; vol. 5, no. 354, p 12, 8 December), and that he had so far managed to 'keep off the rocks' (ibid). By 1930 he was showing sound pictures (Parnell N, 1975, p. 104). McDougall would run Renown Pictures for 31 years ('McDougalls of Victor' The Advertiser, Adelaide 30 August 1951).
Orroroo Institute, 1936, with advertising for the upcoming films showing.
Image Courtesy of Orroroo Historical Society and District Council of Orroroo Carrieton.
Copy of the programme for Saturday 29th April 1950 - including ticket sales, taxes and which slides where shown.
Image Courtesy of Orroroo Historical Society and District Council of Orroroo Carrieton.
Copy of agreement between council and JH McDougall dated 1950
Image Courtesy of Orroroo Historical Society and District Council of Orroroo Carrieton
References:
Parnell Nancy 1975, Orroroo, rendezvous of the magpie : a history of Orroroo and hundreds of Erskine, Walloway, Coomooroo and Black Rock Plains, Gillingham Printers Pty Ltd, Adelaide, Australia.
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