Odeon Bath

Tasmanian entrepreneur E.J. Miller envisioned a world-class picture theatre in Hobart after witnessing the rising popularity of silent films in vaudeville programming at Zeehan's Gaiety Theatre and Theatre Royal. Miller, whose wealth was derived from the lucrative Zeehan mineral field, travelled to the United States, visited major cities and studied the latest advancements in picture theatre designs. On his return to Tasmania he engaged with Hobart architect George Stanley Crisp, who had previously designed the Art Nouveau Palace Theatre opposite the Hobart GPO on Elizabeth Street. Located on the corner of Liverpool Street and Watchorn Street, Miller's original theatre design was intended…

An exceptional example of the Federation Free Classical style, the building featured an iconic checkered parapet, composite order pilasters, decorative cornices, leadlight windows and wrought iron lanterns. Internally, it featured seating for 1,200 people (719 in the stalls and 481 in the dress circle), a Tasmanian Blackwood staircase and dress circle, Wunderlich ceilings, three cloak rooms, immersive wall murals, as well as fixtures and fittings manufactured in Glenorchy.