#Rialto

Home to Greek language films, the beloved Trangs and now….a vape shop. I have always loved the bold colour palette and character of the Rialto.

The Rialto was built on Hardgrave Road in 1926, by ex-mariner Tom Garrick. Grander in scale than most Brisbane suburban theatres at the time, the Rialto was purpose built as a cinema, but it also had a theatre, which was used for many live productions.

During the 1960s, television caused a decline in Brisbane cinema audience numbers. The Rialto survived this trend by screening Greek language films to meet the specific needs of this West End migrant community.

It doesn’t take much of an effort to find the stories and memories so many people have of the theatre.

For my family, it was the day a storm blew the roof off the Rialto, in January 1995, which saw the end of the Rialto’s life as a cinema/theatre.

My mum, who was 6 months pregnant with me at the time, harassed my dad to go searching through the big skip bins the next day to see what they were chucking out. He found two iconic signs, which have been an important preservation of history for our family ever since.

I love the Rialto and while I wish it could have continued to be a picture theatre/performance space, I’m glad the façade still exists and I got to capture it. 💞

Sources:

https://highgatehill-historical-vignettes.com/2022/04/02/tom-garrick-cinema-pioneer/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/OldBrisbaneAlbum/posts/8334078693304766/

https://heritage.brisbane.qld.gov.au/heritage-places/1755