A petition launched since the South West Voice revealed on Friday that Dumareq Street Cinema would be closing has been signed by more than 3,000 people.
At 9am this morning 3,372 people had signed the Save Dumaresq St Cinema online petition started by local resident Colleen Stewart.
“Dumaresq Cinema in Campbelltown has provided families in the region with affordable entertainment since the 80s,’’ writes Ms Stewart in the change.org.au page.
“Families have flocked to watch the latest blockbusters and have enjoyed the candy bar sweets at a family affordable price.
“It will be heartbreaking for such an iconic part of Campbelltown to close.
“I would like the community and surrounding areas of Campbelltown to come together to have our say. Let’s show them we want our history and Dumaresq cinema preserved for our community.’’
Within hours of the South West Voice exclusive being published last Friday morning the story reached thousands of readers across the Macarthur region.
Most were upset that the most affordable cinema in the region could be closing soon.
The story received more letters to the editor than any other story we have published over nine years.
“Please, please, do not remove this beautiful cinema; it helps so many with the cost of living – the only joy in our life,’’ said one reader.
Another one said: “I really do hope that Campbelltown, including our surrounding areas are lucky enough to have someone takeover. We really need this cinema in our community. The continued rises in costs of living over the years, even more so now, this is one place that families have some hope of time out together as a family, because of their cheaper prices to see a movie and also their snack bar. Birthday days out too.’’
And this reader said in her letter: “Please try and save this cinema. If it wasn’t for this cinema my children would not have had the pleasure of going to movies when they were young. As a sole parent I couldn’t afford to take them elsewhere and since then whenever I wanted to watch a movie this is the only cinema myself and now my adult children visit with their families. Please save the cinema!’’
The operators of the cinema are currently holding discussions with Campbelltown City Council – which owns the building – to negotiate an early exit from their lease in the next few weeks.
Don’t close an icon as valuable as the Dumaresq Street Cinema. There are a lot of memories for a lot of people at this place. Apart from that it is an affordable Cinema especially for pensioners and kids. The most iconic icon, “Fishers Ghost Bridge” was taken from us. What stupid will you have next.
We have been going to Dumaresq street cinema over fifty years off and on,
we are happy to sign the petition to try and keep the cinema going for as long as possible.
Please save the cinema complex in some form of compromise that supports the Councils plans and the concept of an affordable cinema.
A theatre that has always had the locals at heart and has lent itself to the existence of locals, assisting in local fundraisers.
The council does nothing.