[1] The site was earlier part of a much larger parcel of land purchased from the Crown in 1855 by Joseph Darragh of Brisbane.

Darragh held the land, unsubdivided, for nearly 30 years, and it was the eventual subdivision of this property into residential allotments (mostly 16 perches) in the mid-1880s, which established East Brisbane as a dormitory suburb.

Prior to this, East Brisbane was semi-rural in character, with a few isolated families scattered through the bush, and a number of elite estates (such as Mowbray's and Heath's) along the riverbank.

[1] In June 1885 Mrs Annie Elizabeth Cocks gained title to subdivisions 112 and 113 of eastern allotment 128, parish of South Brisbane, county of Stanley (32 perches - later the site of the picture theatre).

[1] On 1 July 1921 the property was transferred from Robinson to Frederick Carl Christian Olsen, who established an open-air picture show on the site that year.

A sewerage detail plan dated 1919 shows a picture theatre, partly roofed, occupying the whole of the site.

It is not unusual for alterations to be made to original detail plans, and in this instance, the theatre as shown on the site is more likely to date to between 1921 and 1927.

Olsen, who lived nearby at Didsbury Street, East Brisbane, had let the contract to construct the theatre to Corinda contractor and architect Arthur Robson.

Around this time Mrs Olsen raised a further mortgage on the property from EA Burmester, possibly to purchase sound equipment for the theatre.

Suburban cinemas struggled to continue screening films and in the 1960s and 1970s many closed, the buildings converted into alternative uses or the sites redeveloped.

At street level there is a centrally placed wide, low-arched entrance, defined by half pillars on each side, with concrete steps leading to what was formerly a semi-open foyer.

To either side of this arched entrance is a billboard case, and in the end bays are small "porthole" windows with a square leadlight panel in each, now enclosed with timber lattice.

[1] As was typical of suburban picture theatre construction of this period, the masonry facade returns along the sides only one narrow bay in depth.

What the elegant facade was intended to obscure is that the main part of the structure, housing the auditorium, is a large, timber-framed space with a steep, gabled, galvanised iron roof.

At the rear (southern) end of the main building the gable is in-filled with weatherboards and there is a lower, hipped roof extension over the stage area.

This space has a low, false ceiling of acoustic tiles, and the floor, which was formerly raked and part of the auditorium, has been raised and levelled.

On either side of the stage, angled to direct focus to the rear wall, are large, early plasterboard panels with decorative "classical" mouldings.

The site has been associated with film exhibition - arguably the most significant form of 20th century popular culture/entertainment - since 1921, and until its closure in mid 2000, was amongst the longest operating of Queensland's picture theatres.

The place is important in illustrating the nature of Queensland film exhibition, in particular the contribution of family-owned enterprises to this industry.

In particular it retains a remarkably intact and highly decorative 1927 facade of "classic" picture theatre design now rare in Queensland.

The place is, and always was, a very fine example of the 1920s suburban 'picture palace': a large auditorium built to a modest budget, with a more glamorous street facade to attract patrons, and remains important in illustrating the principal characteristics of this class of building and of this genre of picture theatre design.

These characteristics include: an imposing facade incorporating an eclectic mix of "Classical" and "Mediterranean" decorative and design elements, in substantial materials, in a deliberate attempt to impress and create streetscape and townscape presence; a large, gable-roofed, single-span auditorium supported by laminated timber arches; a central arched entrance; a bio-box located above the entrance; early lattice ceiling to the auditorium interior; a raked timber floor; decorative plasterboard panelling along the auditorium walls; a decorative proscenium arch; a small performance stage with decorative plasterboard panels either side; and a "screen" painted onto the sheet metal rear wall.

The place has been identified with the townscape and social character of East Brisbane since the 1920s; in the past has generated a strong sense of community focus, being a venue for local social activity and popular culture since 1921; and for well over a decade in recent years was associated with Brisbane's art-house movie circuit, being well known to thousands of Queensland "film-buffs", and the venue for film festivals and screenings of film-school productions.