During the warmer months of the year these groups travelled through what became Tumut on their way to the Snowy Mountains where they performed ceremonies and feasted on the Bogong moth.

[1][4] During the early years of settlement and contact around the Tumut area it seems that the Aboriginal people continued to a large extent to visit the mountains and perform ceremony regularly.

A property, "Yellowin", in the nea by Blowering Valley was noted as an important meeting place for the Murray, Yass and local Aboriginal people.

During the late 1850s and 1860s in response to the activity accompanying the gold rushes in the area, the township began to take off and by the 1880s boasted 18 hotels, a blacksmith, a post office a courthouse and lockup, a local newspaper outfit and many other commercial services and residences.

Through the 1890s and into the twentieth century the Mission developed as a community village with the establishment of a dairy, cess pits for houses tree planting and various vegetable and crops raised there.

After a number of years John Learmont moved to Young, leaving his older sons living and engaged in business in Tumut.

In 1927 John J Learmont applied to build a new brick shop on the north west side of the land on which the Montreal theatre stands.

Among his business interests were the ownership or leasing of a string of cinema theatres in the Riverina district including those at Gundagai, Cootamundra, Corowa, Lockhardt, the Montreal at Tumut, the Athenium in Junee and the Roxy in Leeton.

George Laurantas was involved in managing several of Nicholas cinemas and other businesses, including rural farming properties.

[1][10] Nicholas became a leader in the Australian Greek community and from early in his residence in Australia he provided assistance and advice to individuals.

[1][10] From its opening in April 1930, the day-to-day management of the Montreal Theatre was undertaken by Peter Stathis, brother in law of Nicholas and George Laurantas.

One of the many tasks was to meet the local train to take delivery or send off the latest film to be shown as it did the rounds of the Laurantas managed cinemas in the Riverina.

[1][11] As well as being a major focus for the social life of the Tumut European community, the movie theatre was a highlight in the week of many of the young Aboriginal people living at the old Brungle Mission or Reserve who, in the 1930s, would ride their horses into Tumut after working on farms around Brungle, in order to see a film at the Montreal.

[7] Later in the early 1960s Sonia Piper and Elva Russell recall hitching a lift into Tumut to go to the pictures at the theatre.

[1] Inside the entry is a small foyer, on the rear wall in a central position is the box office with the original copper security grille.

A pressed metal cornice of egg and dart pattern along the top of the northern and southern walls of the theatre.

[1] The walls of the auditorium are bagged and painted deep cream and dados and window ledges picked out in Indian Red.

Large windows along the north and south walls of the theatre have shutters which are detailed similarly to the spider web air vents.

[1] The stage is defined by a large decorative proscenium arch made from pressed metal and featuring deep cove and an egg and dart pattern painted in blue, off white and gold.

It is also historically significant as it demonstrates, through its management by Sir Nicholas Laurantas and his family, the importance of the Greek community in the development of cinema in NSW and Australia, especially in rural areas.

It is also associated with the noted philanthropist Sir Nicholas Laurantas and his family who managed the Montreal as one of their network of cinemas in the Riverina area.

It has social significance as it is highly valued by the Tumut and wider district community as demonstrated in the public campaign to raise money to purchase the building in 1998.

[1] Its intact condition and layout including the former milk bar/refreshment room incorporated in the theatre building, as well as the history of its operation is able to yield valuable information on the development of cinematography and cinema going in rural NSW for the past 80 years or more.

[1] Montreal Community Theatre was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 21 June 2013 having satisfied the following criteria.

The Montreal Community Theatre and Moveable Heritage Collection in Tumut is of state heritage significance as a rare example of an intact interwar cinema/live theatre in rural NSW from the period where cinema-going was fast becoming a predominant leisure activity in Australia, especially in rural areas with limited entertainment options available.

Among his works were substantial donations towards the St Basils homes for the elderly and toward the establishment of a chair of modern Greek at the University of Sydney.

[1] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

Karberry and Chard's concern with functional design is also reflected in the striking lattice auditorium ceiling where the structure and construction, through carpentry provides a visually pleasing effect.

[1] Similarly to other small towns, this theatre's imposing and distinctive facade make it an outstanding contribution to the streetscape.

[1] This Wikipedia article was originally based on Montreal Community Theatre and Moveable Heritage Collection, entry number 01909 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.