Jedda premiere, Star Theatre, Darwin, 1955

On 3 January 1955 the Star Picture Theatre became part of Australian film history when it screened the world premiere of Jedda. The Star Picture Theatre seated around 860 patrons and was central to Darwin’s social life. The theatre was divided into three sections with different pricing levels: the upstairs balcony was mostly reserved for whites – public servants and local business figures. Beneath the balcony, working-class white people and Indigenous Australians who could afford the more expensive tickets sat on canvas-backed chairs. Most Indigenous Australians sat on the cement floor near the front of the screen, with no roof cover.