A piece of Wyndham history is up for grabs with the landmark Picture Palais building in Werribee listed for sale.
The building in Station Place opened as a movie theatre in 1928 – a boom period for the construction of custom-built cinemas in Australia – having been constructed for Melbourne promoters, W.
Mitchell of Elsternwick and F. Foulsham of Caulfield, with local hotelier and former mayor
D.J. Canny.
When the first talking picture came to Werribee in 1932, Mother’s Millions, it was shown at
the Picture Palais, and it was reported at the time that extra seats had to be provided for the
crowd of over 1,000 people – deemed the largest crowd ever seen in Werribee to that time .
Over 90 years on, the Picture Palais building houses a Cash Converters outlet and its recently extended lease is part of the offering.
Fitzroys’ Ervin Niyaz and Chris Kombi are marketing the property, with expressions of interest closing on Wednesday, November 29.
“This is an incredibly rare chance to own a piece of Werribee’s history,” Mr Kombi said.
“The Picture Palais played a huge role in the cultural life of Werribee as it transformed from
a rural township into a major suburb and commercial centre of Melbourne’s south west.
We’re expecting interest from buyers with a keen appreciation for the history of Werribee
and Wyndham.”
As well as the historical significance of the building, Mr Kombi said the level interest they’d already received reflected Werribee and Wyndham’s growing status as an investment destination.
“We have received strong interest in the property from local buyers along with Melbourne and interstate-based investors. Werribee is considered one of the few remaining Victorian suburbs with significant growth potential and as a result continues to consistently attract interest from investors outside the region.”
