The Spot, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
South-eastern Sydney
South-Eastern Sydney is a term which is used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the south and east of the Sydney central business district in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.The area stretches from the inner city to the foreshores of Botany Bay...
Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The Spot is located in the south-eastern part of the suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Randwick
Randwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
, around the intersection of Perouse Road and St Pauls Street. It is a vibrant part of Randwick and consists of a collection of shops, restaurants, cafes and a cinema.
The Spot is a heritage conservation area and has many heritage listed buildings, such as The Ritz Cinema and Pan Arcadian House, a 1930s Masonic Temple
Masonic Temple
Masonic Temple is a term commonly used in Freemasonry with multiple but related meanings. It is used to describe an abstract spiritual goal, the conceptual ritualistic space formed when a Masonic Lodge meets, and the physical rooms and structures in which a Lodge meets...
and most notably the facade of shops on the corner of Perouse Road and St Pauls Street which follows a curved pattern, necessary for the tram route which used to extend to Coogee Beach.
The Royal Hotel and Randwick shopping centre are a short distance away. The area is well served by public transport with regular buses from the Sydney CBD and Bondi Junction
Bondi Junction, New South Wales
Bondi Junction is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Junction is located 6 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the Waverley....
.
Name
The Spot lies at the geographic centre of a residential suburb that some maps identify as “St Pauls”. The post office located at The Spot is also officially "St Pauls 2031Postcodes in Australia
Postcodes are used in Australia to sort and send mail to the correct address. All postcodes in Australia have four numbers and are placed at the end of the address...
." However, the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales does not list “St Pauls” as an officially registered place name within the Randwick Local Government Area.
The locality name of "The Spot", too, is not officially registered with the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales and, despite wide use, would appear to remain unofficial.
Early days of the colony
Research by a local historical society has revealed that The Spot probably lies on trails that were made through the bushland by members of earliest European settlements in Sydney CoveSydney Cove
Sydney Cove is a small bay on the southern shore of Port Jackson , on the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia....
. Centrally placed at The Spot is a plinth on which is mounted a plaque that notes:
Between January and March, 1788, members of the Lapérouse expedition at Botany BayBotany BayBotany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South Wales, a few kilometres south of the Sydney central business district. The Cooks River and the Georges River are the two major tributaries that flow into the bay...
and the First FleetFirst FleetThe First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
at Sydney CoveSydney CoveSydney Cove is a small bay on the southern shore of Port Jackson , on the coast of the state of New South Wales, Australia....
passed this place on goodwill visits. Their route is followed closely by parts of Avoca St., Frenchmans Rd. and Perouse Rd. Randwick.
'Struggletown'
During the early years of the Randwick municipality, the area to the west of The Spot (Barker and Botany Streets) was home to labourers and workmen who built some of the finer homes in the Randwick area and the area was often referred to as 'Struggletown' or, less commonly, 'Irish Town'. The Struggletown name lives on near The Spot, in the form of the business name of the local veterinary clinic.The Ritz Cinema
Since its construction, the cinema has been owned by, among others, the Hoyts
Hoyts
The Hoyts Group is an Australian company consisting of Hoyts Exhibition, Hoyts Distribution and Val Morgan.Hoyts Exhibition manages 450 screens across 40 Australian and 10 New Zealand cinema complexes; making it Australia's second largest cinema chain. Val Morgan, the cinema advertising arm of the...
cinema group and the Brigidine Sisters
Brigidine Sisters
The Brigidine Sisters are a global Roman Catholic congregation, founded by Bishop Daniel Delany in Ireland on February 1, 1807...
(an order of nuns running the adjacent Brigidine College
Brigidine College Randwick
Brigidine College Randwick is a systemic Roman Catholic, secondary, day school for girls, located in Randwick, a south-eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.- History :The College was founded by the Brigidine Sisters in September 1901...
). In the late 1980s the current owners planned to demolish the existing cinema and to redevelop the site. However, Randwick City Council and the then Minister for Planning
New South Wales Department of Planning
The New South Wales Department of Planning and Infrastructure, a department of the New South Wales Government, is responsibile for the long-term planning for the regions of New South Wales and driving well-located housing and employment land...
intervened and a Permanent Conservation Order was imposed on The Ritz building in March, 1993. The current owners refurbished the building in the late 1990s, adding additional cinemas to the original single principal cinema theatre in order to allow The Ritz to survive in the era of competition with larger multiplex cinema chains.
In 1997, The Ritz Cinema was placed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
by the Australian Heritage Council
Australian Heritage Council
Australian Heritage Council was established on 19 February, 2004 as the Australian body responsible for advising the Australian Government on cultural heritage matters...
. That record notes that
The Ritz Cinema is the only one of three remaining theatres of this style in an unaltered state still used as a cinema in New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and is one of the few surviving examples of the hundreds of cinemas which were built during the 1930s, one of the most creative periods of cinematic design in Australia. ... The Ritz, which has operated almost continuously as a movie theatre since 1937, has social values as a community cultural entertainment centre in the RandwickRandwick, New South WalesRandwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
area. The place is also highly valued by the Art Deco Society. ... The Ritz is significant for its intact and well detailed Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
design and is a prominent element in the St Paul's Road urban precinct ...
The Spot Food and Film Festival
Since 2008 Randwick City Council has held an annual food and film festival at The Spot featuring special screenings of films at The Ritz, live performances and food stalls. The Spot Food and Film Festival is run as a part of the CoogeeCoogee
Coogee may refer to:*Coogee, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney*South Coogee, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney*Electoral district of Coogee, an electoral district in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, based around the area...
Arts Festival.
The Spot Walk of Fame
In 2008, Randwick City Council established The Spot Walk of Fame, which is a "recognition of successful Australian artists in the film industry" and consists of a series of brass plaques set in the pavement on the northern side of St Pauls Street. The Council has noted that The Spot Food and Film Festival will provide an ongoing opportunity for additional notable persons to be inducted into the Walk of Fame in the future. The first person recognised in the Walk of Fame was Australian actor Charles "Bud" Tingwell, whose plaque stands outside the Ritz Cinema. Other Australian cinema identities commemorated on the Spot Walk of Fame include: Michael CatonMichael Caton
Michael Caton is an Australian television, film and stage actor, and television host, best known for playing Uncle Harry in the Australian television series, The Sullivans, playing Darryl Kerrigan from 1997's low budget hit film The Castle and playing in the popular Packed to the Rafters. He is...
; Roy Billing
Roy Billing
Roy Billing is a New Zealand television actor, now based in Sydney, Australia.-Career:Billing has starred in many television shows and had main roles on Bad Cop, Bad Cop, Dossa and Joe and Hell Has Harbour Views...
; Steve Bisley
Steve Bisley
Steve Bisley is an Australian film and television actor, who attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art .-Acting career:...
; and Claudia Karvan
Claudia Karvan
Claudia Karvan is an Australian actress popular for her roles in the television series The Secret Life of Us and Love My Way. She is also a producer and writer on Love My Way. She currently stars in the drama series Spirited...
.
Architectural heritage in the area
Under the Randwick Local Environment Plan 1998 (Consolidation) a number of buildings in the vicinity of The Spot are listed as heritage items and the immediate locale a designated Heritage Conservation Area. Buildings within the Heritage Conservation Area around The Spot include:- 17 Lee Street - an Edwardian residence built c 1910
- 84 Perouse Road - an Edwardian mansion
- 85 Perouse Road - a Federation PeriodFederation architectureFederation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
residence built c 1915 - 106 Perouse Road - a Federation PeriodFederation architectureFederation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
Queen Anne house - 108 and 110 Perouse Road - two Federation PeriodFederation architectureFederation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
Queen Anne houses - 15 St Pauls Street - a Victorian terrace house
- 17 St Pauls Street - a Federation PeriodFederation architectureFederation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
cottage - 19 St Pauls Street - a Victorian Italianate residence
- 25-27 St Pauls Street - a Federation PeriodFederation architectureFederation architecture refers to the architectural style in Australia, which was prevalent from around 1890 to 1920. The period refers to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Australian colonies collectively became the Commonwealth of Australia...
cottage - The Ritz Cinema. The Ritz Cinema is also designated a heritage item of 'State significance'
- 44 St Pauls Street - Classic Revival Masonic Temple built c 1920