1930's cinema, Liberty Theatre in Yass on the market for the first time in 14 years

As a young boy Touie Smith snr would venture to town and watch the pictures at the Liberty Theatre in Yass once every fortnight, now he says he goes to the movies once a year.

Thrity-five years after its first opening, the theatre closed down and in 2004, Mr Smith and wife Denise bought it in the hope of restoring it to its former glory.

But 14 years later, the property is back on the market.

Liberty Theatre was built in 1939 and during the war years provided entertainment and news reels for the township of Yass. 

“At the time, it was a state of the art facility and was the place to be before the days of TVs,” Mr Smith said.

“You’d come into the town with dad and mum on a special night or you’d get your drivers license you’d come to town and take your girlfriend to the theatre.

“Theatre in the country towns in those days were the centre of activies.” 

In 1974 Liberty Theatre shut and was bought by a local family who used it as an art gallery and retail shop. Years later it was turned into a real estate agency and then transformed into a Video Ezy store. 

“One of the reasons it shut was because the younger generation became more mobile and got cars,” Mr Smith said.

“Why would you want to come to a picture theatre in Yass when you can drive to Canberra and go to the drive ins.”

When the couple bought the theatre on its 480-square metre block, the dress circle and first floor foyer of the building remained largely untouched since 1974.

Mrs Smith said within 24-hours of finding out the theatre was on the market in 2004, they had become the new owners. It was purchased for $380,000. 

“Business has been very good to us out in Yass and we would talk about what we would do for it if we ever could and that dream for us was to buy the theatre,” she said.

They set aside $2 million and five years for the project but said they had difficulties with the Yass Valley Council. The theatre is currently home to community groups.

Last year, the couple decided it was time to put the building on the market. 

“We would like to think the Yass community deserves to have a cultural spot where people can come,” Mr Smith said.

“It would be a shame for this to fall into the hands of a shoe shop or something and tear the guts out of it, that would be horrible.”

Liberty Theatre at 173 Comur Street Yass is listed for $580,000-plus.