Croydon Cinemas has been empty for two years – these locals want to change that

More than two years after the Croydon Cinemas complex was put out to tender in the wake of the devastation wrought by Covid, the property remains listed for sale.

But two local business co-owners, Cheryle Abela and Fiona Worsley, have launched a petition urging someone to take control of the site and reopen it as a cinema and venue for theatre and gigs. 

The petition - online and in hard copy version - has been signed more than 640 times.

It states, in part: “At the end of an era, our beloved independent Croydon Cinema, an institution that stood its ground against the tide of commercial multiplexes, was unfortunately compelled to close its doors as a repercussion of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“With its closure, we lost not just an establishment, but a piece of our shared narrative and culture. Today, we call for a reversal of this decision.”

By “reversal of this decision”, they are asking an entrepreneur or a government body to buy the site. 

The Croydon Cinemas complex is on a 1,477-square-metre patch of land. It was listed for sale in October 2022, and the cinema closed its doors in early 2023.

When it was originally listed for sale, the agents said possible uses were as offices, education facilities, retail or mixed use residential. No price guide has been released throughout the long sale period.

A current listing states: “Whether you’re a film buff looking to rejuvenate the existing premises, by leveraging the cinema’s facilities and infrastructure in diverse and innovative ways or a developer/investor looking for your next project, this property ticks all the boxes.”

One news report says the building has been owned by the same family since the cinema opened on Boxing Day 1977.

“I didn't live anywhere around here, but had friends in Boronia and sometimes we would go to Boronia Cinema and sometimes we'd come to Croydon,” Worsley said.  

Abela said she used to commute from the Yarra Valley to the cinema with her children. 

“It’s classic…I remember going there for the last time, and it's really homely,” she said. 

Worsley said she could tell the cinema was “in trouble” during a visit between Covid lockdowns with her daughter. 

“There was her and I and two other people in the whole place,” she said. “It wasn't really surprising when it closed, but I think people are really wanting it to be open again now.”

The pair placed a petition in their gift shop Finesse Creations Melbourne last December, and launched the online petition in February.

The online petition had 443 signatures at the time of writing, with the paper petition estimated to have more than 200 signatures.

“In times of increased loneliness and isolation, the loss of such a social centre is deeply felt by all generations and walks of life who have been part of the cinema's rich history,” the online petition read.

“Every customer that we talk to that has asked about the cinema or has mentioned the cinema has a story about their family in the cinema,” Abela said.

“Whoever reopens it will be a local hero … and it's just going to draw people back in because of that family lineage history.”

Worsley said a lot of young local families “don't necessarily want to go to Eastland or Chirnside to a huge movie complex; they want somewhere a bit smaller, a bit more personal”.

Image Credit: Eastern Melburnian/Appleby Real Estate