A happening area once more!

 Well a few short decades ago who would have thought that Enmore Road would be considered a "cool" place! It was recently officially voted the coolest Sydney Street by Time Out for 2022 - (as well as being No. 24 on the list of coolest streets in the world this year!)

Enmore Road was a "happening" place from the mid 1910's through to the early 1980's after it transformed from an area of villa garden estates to a suburban landscape before it went into a gradual decline before reinventing itself. So who made this area the "place to be seen" ....Two brothers with stars in their eyes.

GEORGE AND WILLIAM SZARKA

George Clifton was born in Sydney in 1869 to Lucy and John Szarka, the eldest of their seven children, with William joining the family in 1880. George worked for a number of years as a compositor at the Government Printing Office and later at John Sands.

Both brothers lived in the Newtown area and were heavily involved in the promotion of boxing, running the Olympia Stadium in Marrickville.

An opportunity arose in 1910 for them to purchase the Enmore Theatre which at the time was described as “an unroofed, tin-walled, uninviting-looking enclosure”. The brothers soon put a roof over three quarters of it and held boxing matches and other entertainment until they could afford to totally enclose the theatre.

From 1912 the Enmore Theatre became an institution built upon motion pictures, music and entertainment. It screened silent movies accompanied by a concert orchestra and boasted 3,000 "comfortable", reasonably priced seats of 6d. and 3d.

The Szarka Brothers were hailed as innovators and leaders in cinema exhibition and live entertainment. 

In 1920 the Szarka Brothers ‘New Enmore Theatre’ was officially opened by John Storey the Premier of NSW. 

Enmore Theatre 1920's - wikipedia.org 

Just as the future was looking remarkably bright for the brothers tragedy struck when George was fatally injured on King Street Newtown at about 11am on 20 October 1920.

George had just left the Theatre to conduct some business at the Post Office and after doing so was standing outside when a car which had swerved to avoid hitting a woman, skidded, and ran onto the footpath slamming him into a street post and crushing his right leg. The ambulance was quick to attend and conveyed him to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital but he died within 30 minutes of arrival. At the hospital prior to his demise he told William that "no one was to blame" - words that are etched on his memorial.

At the Coroners inquest the verdict was recorded as one of accidental death as the driver was considered to have done his duty in avoiding the woman who had fallen on the road. For George it would appear that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He left a widow and a grownup family to grieve his loss.

George Clifton Szarka monument - author's own

William continued with the business with the name Szarka Bros retained. In 1924 the Theatre underwent renovations which included a new vestibule, with a refreshment room and roof garden added. In 1926 the Szarka brothers joined Hoyts and the theatre was converted to a cinema cum theatre consisting of 2,150 seats in 1927.

In September 1933 William began another boxing venue when he re-opened the National Theatre as the Balmain Stadium. 

1936 saw the Hoyts Corporation buy the Enmore from the Szarka brothers and the business was liquidated.

Besides running the successful Enmore Theatre, William was an active member of the local Catholic Church. He and his wife participated in many charitable functions, making the Enmore Theatre available for fundraisers, working for hospitals and local groups. He was named the ‘King of Newtown’ in a fund-raising competition held to assist the Newtown School of Arts and other charities in July 1925.

Children in Foyer of Enmore Theatre 1951 - The Dictionary of Sydney

William Szarka was also an alderman on Newtown Council in 1914-28, representing Enmore Ward.

William died in 1960. Both brothers rest peacefully in the Catholic area of Rookwood Cemetery.

William Szarka grave - author's own

The Enmore Theatre lives and "rocks" on surrounded by trendy bars and diverse eateries.

Recent photograph of Enmore Theatre - Wikipedia

Enmore Road will soon become the States first dedicated entertainment precinct as part of a Government trial to expand live music offerings. The Szarka Brothers would be pleased!!!

If you have any fond memories of Enmore Road (or not so fond) feel free to add them to  blog or on the comments about this blog on the group facebook page

roookwoodcemeterydiscoveries

Until next time....