The 1927 Royal Commission in Rockhampton: a window onto regional exhibition

Abstract

Of all the Australian states, Queensland had the highest number of exhibitors who gave evidence to the Royal Commission, with 22 out of the national total of 53. In Rockhampton, the three exhibitors who gave evidence represented all five cinemas in the town. These exhibitors spoke from the perspective of different exhibition models: the large chain, the family business and the second-run suburban cinema. With brief comparisons to evidence given in other Queensland towns, this study of the Rockhampton exhibitors' submissions reveals the concerns of regional picture-show operators and the likes and dislikes of regional audiences. While exhibitors found much to complain about in the Americans' large-scale, centralised business practices, there was a surprising degree of acceptance, suggesting that further close exploration of the Royal Commission evidence can reveal much about regional Australia's interactions with local, national and global culture.