Commissioned by the Paragon Picture Co Pty Ltd, the art deco theatre was constructed entirely with reinforced concrete by Carter & Peace.

[7] The Paragon enjoyed capacity crowds until home videocassette recordings and video rental stores rose to prominence in the late 1970s.

Stevenson and his wife Alice spent five years renovating the theatre into a 60-seat luxury cinema, function venue and café.

At a cost of $75,000, funds were raised from a government grant and local charity to drill 136 holes into the floor to underpin the structure.

[8] Less than three months later, Jeff Lang and Mark Seymour & The Undertow performed at the venue as part of The Unconformity festival.