Help our heritage!
20 October 2009 - 9:19am — debritz
| Welcome to the Save the Regent website. If you want to join us in protecting Brisbane's last remaining Hollywood-style picture palace as a public place we can all enjoy, all the time, please take the time to write to Premier and Arts Minister Anna Bligh (Premier@ministerial.qld.gov.au) and Infrastructure Minister Stirling Hinchliffe (infrastructure@ministerial.qld.gov.au) to tell them that you don't think the current, council-approved plan -- to save the foyer, but not the Showcase cinema, the original 1929 bar and its surrounds (formerly the mezzanine) and the original Elizabeth Street facade -- is good enough. With a heritage application for the Showcase (which comprises fabric from the original 1920s Regent auditorium) and the bar area under consideration, and a court appeal against the council's decision to allow a 40-floor office tower on the Regent site underway, the battle is not yet over. Please feel free to browse this site - especially the Views page, where famous (including Geoffrey Rush, Mike Walsh and Bille Brown) and not-so-famous people have had their say about why the Regent is important and why it should be truly saved for future generations of Queenslanders. |
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Media coverage on the issue includes an article in The Sunday Mail (pictured) and the following spot from John Knox, Laurel Edwards and Gary Clare on Radio 4KQ:
Comments
Apart from the historical,
Apart from the historical, cultural, art, and entertainment that is represented less in this state then in any other state in Australia- the absolute hide of A CAN DO AND A BYE BYE BLIGH to laugh away this ASSUMING that they will ride out this little tide of people until they forget, and all will be okay.
I attended the rally last Saturday, and was very proud. I was also very sad. Not just because of the amazing stupidity of the 2 above and the Heritage Council who believe Heritage is from 1980(who can blame them- they have little left pre 80,s to refer to)- but I was sad because of what I could see and hear in the faces watching us in the rally. ANY other state in Australia would know what their regent is-as I was asked by people on the street.
Even Tassie where we have just returned where we lived for 2 years with little over 250,000 people in Hobart can save their State Theatre- and their population are even more passionate about their football then Qld.
I wonder if something important to the 2 stooges above was to be erased from their families memories, just like the people who built this state is about to happen to, whether the heritage council would somehow find their way into it?
LETTER TO THE PREMIER
Dear Anna Bligh,
Whether you are honest about it or not dear Premier, our city is in desperate need of both a cultural and marketing makeover. Our fine city should represent more than just Football, Cricket, and a gateway to the region's beaches. I personally believe Brisbane still has some cultural attractions to offer international and interstate travellers, but sadly these seem to be in either a state of decline or development.
You as our State Premier, are currently proposing to better utilise laneways and small inner city spaces to help instigate some sort of cultural vibe to Brisbane City. How would demolishing or defacing existing city landmarks such as The Regent Cinemas help with this agenda?
Prominent architectural landmarks hold fond memories for thousands of people and provide a priceless sense of pride for a city. Replacing them with Bjelke Petersen style developments only makes the developers proud. Decisions overtly biased in favour of development, disappoint the populace and alienate the government from its voters.
Why not learn from this region's past developmental mistakes? The sad thing is I don't even need to specify that which I am referring to, as they are that obvious and memorable! Why not learn from well marketed cities such as Melbourne? Why make your task of selling our city any harder than it currently is, by making such myopic decisions?
A couple of years ago, I was informed that The Regent Cinemas would potentially be getting torn down. A year ago, I learn that The City Hall is actually being considered too costly to restore. Wow! Is it just me, or is something clearly wrong with the development-at-all-costs type of mindset in this region. How do you expect your citizens to be proud of a city while the government clearly isn't?
Our elderly deserve better care, albeit in an architectural heritage sense in this particular case. I know economic rationales will be used to "justify the decision", but some things don't have a dollar value. You can't buy memories without firstly compromising the integrity and memories of the people.
Did you ever see the movie 'The Castle?' Maybe you ironically watched it in The Regent? "You can buy the house but you can't buy the home... a home is made up of the memories and the people in it..." Michael Kerrigan would be angry at you for this development. "It's unconstitutional."
That was a memorable, pertinent and quintessential piece of Australian cinema and cultural heritage. Why? It was honest and resonated acutely with the sentiments of the public. Lessons that still need to be heeded no less.
Another film you may have watched at The Regent was 'Muriel's Wedding.' I remember those immortal words of Muriel's father, the 'honourable' Councillor Heslop. "You can't stop progress." Wow! This political character certainly continues to paint a tragically honest portrait of this region's government. Sad isn't it, how life imitates art?
Please don't be a "dickhead" Anna. Do some good while you are in office and try to leave a grand legacy. Save the Cinemas for other generations to enjoy. Otherwise I'll fight you with jousting sticks in a burnt out backyard. I think perhaps The Regent should put on a matinee showing of both of these aforementioned films again, just to revisit their themes and to help to try and save itself. Maybe Anna, I'll see you in the foyer and we can chat over a choc top.
Yours Somewhat Faithfully,
Justin Moyle
The REGENT cinemas
How can Brisbane ever have any "heritage" in the future, if we don't save the very special things, NOW?
The compromise arrangements announced so far, for the Regent Theatre, are just not good enough.
The actual REGENT CINEMA No 1 (at least) and the one beside it should also be retained, plus the little bar and lobby area in front of it. "Heritage" is not really something of a certain age, - it's something of a certain quality, something that is part of the identity of a place... whatever it's age and story.
The tiny, and unsatisfactory cinemas that we're told will be there in the future, will not give Brisbane a venue to be proud of, for our overseas guests at the International Film Festival to be impressed by, and for we Queenslanders to feel proud of, and enjoy.
I have just been attending the 2009 Festival, to write about it for an overseas newspaper, and when accompanying a film director from that country, I felt proud to walk down that marble staircase with him after "Balibo" screening last night, but ashamed to tell him that some of that venue will possibly soon be gone.
I live at Gold Coast and next weekend I'm taking some of my overseas guests up to Brisbane to see a film at The Regent 1, just so that they can see this wonderful cinema, and enjoy filmgoing the way it was in the Classic era. Film lovers really appreciate the history associated with the world of Cinema.
Anyone can watch a DVD at home now, but the experience of seeing films in a classic cinema, recalling the glory days of widescreen movies in 70 millimetre, is fantastic. We should not lose it. It is how films are meant to be seen.
I will never forget the thrill of seeing the re-release of the 70 millimetre print of "Lawrence of Arabia" at The Regent 1, not to mention all the other films I have attended there. It's a venue worthy of a film masterpiece.
We are losing so much, so fast in this world. Let's not forget how much future generations will thank us, if we can keep this beautiful experience for them.
What do tourists go to see when they go to Europe? They love to see the old buildings - the echoes of history.
Brisbane has already lost so much of its original character, since the seventies. What's remaining, is precious.
Let's keep some "Soul" in Brisbane. I find it hard to even think about the demolition of The Regent 1 cinema, which is a place many people, including me, care about.
Cynthia Webb
126 million for a football stadium
I'm just reading that 126 million has been approved by the Minister fo the Arts for a new football stadium on the Gold Coast. Maybe the sports minister will approve 126 million for the restoration of the Regent? Where's the equity?