Sun Picture Gardens
A heritage-listed outdoor cinema in Broome, Western Australia, and the world's oldest operating picture garden.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Sun Picture Gardens, also known as Sun Pictures, is a historic open-air cinema in Broome, Western Australia. It is widely described as the world's oldest operating outdoor cinema. The venue opened on 9 December 1916 and continues to screen films, combining commercial cinema exhibition with a highly distinctive heritage setting in Broome's Chinatown district. The cinema developed from an earlier commercial and theatrical space. In 1903, the Yamsaki family established a store on Carnarvon Street serving Broome's substantial Asian community with clothing, food and other goods. Part of the premises was later used for theatrical performances, including Noh theatre. In 1913, pearling master Ted Hunter acquired the building and began converting it into a cinema. The venue opened three years later with a full house; the first recorded film was the racing drama Kissing Cup. During the silent-film period, screenings were accompanied by live piano music. A local pianist remembered as Fairy became part of the cinema's folklore, with If You Were the Only Girl (In the World) reportedly among the songs most frequently played. In 1924, W. H. Milner and Leonard R. Knight purchased the cinema. Their wives played important operational roles, including running the box office and managing public relations. The venue was converted for sound in 1933, with Monte Carlo serving as its first sound presentation. The cinema's history also reflects Broome's difficult social and environmental conditions. Before flood-control works were completed, high tides regularly inundated the site and surrounding streets during screenings. Audiences sometimes watched films while water entered the premises, and patrons occasionally had to leave through flooded streets. During the Second World War, Broome was evacuated shortly before a Japanese air raid. The projection equipment was vandalised during or after the evacuation, and army personnel later repaired and used it, although reel changes could be extremely slow. Sun Pictures also operated under racial segregation until the 1960s. Seating was divided according to racial hierarchy, with Aboriginal and other non-white patrons restricted to hard benches and a separate entrance. A boycott began shortly before anti-discrimination reforms were introduced in 1967. This history is an important part of the site's interpretation and demonstrates that the venue is both a popular entertainment business and a record of Broome's colonial and multicultural past. A levy constructed in 1974 substantially reduced tidal flooding. The cinema was placed on the Register of the National Estate in 1989 and entered the State Register of Heritage Places in 1995, protections that recognised its cultural and historical significance and limited changes to its appearance. Marrissa Ferraz acquired the cinema in 1997 and began restoration work in 1999. In 2002, an indoor venue, Sun Cinemas, opened alongside the original outdoor cinema, allowing the business to operate year-round with both heritage outdoor screenings and conventional indoor facilities. In 2004, Sun Picture Gardens received international recognition through Guinness World Records as the oldest open-air cinema still in operation. The venue has also hosted special events, including the 2009 premiere of the Western Australian musical film Bran Nue Dae. Its continuing appeal comes from the combination of film programming, tropical outdoor viewing, local history and an unusually well-preserved cinema environment. Unlike many outdoor cinemas that operate only occasionally or show one or two films weekly, Sun Pictures has historically presented multiple films in a night. Its precise current ownership and corporate structure are not identified in the supplied reference material.
History
Sun Picture Gardens emerged from Broome's Chinatown and pearling-era commercial culture. The Yamsaki family opened a store on Carnarvon Street in 1903, supplying Asian clothing, food and other goods to the town's large Asian population. Their interest in performance led part of the premises to be used for Noh theatre. In 1913, Ted Hunter, a master pearler, purchased the building and began transforming it into a cinema. The venue opened on 9 December 1916 as Sun Pictures. Its inaugural presentation was Kissing Cup, a racing drama, and the opening attracted a full house. During the silent era, films were accompanied by a pianist. A local performer known as Fairy became associated with the venue, and the song If You Were the Only Girl (In the World) was reportedly played frequently. In 1924, W. H. Milner and Leonard R. Knight became owners. Their wives helped run the box office and public-relations activities, illustrating the family-operated character of the business. The cinema entered the sound era in 1933, when it was equipped to present talkies. Monte Carlo, released in 1930, was the first sound film shown there. Milner died in 1940, while Knight returned to Perth, leaving Milner's wife to continue operating the cinema. Broome was evacuated in 1942, shortly before a Japanese air raid. The projection equipment was vandalised during or after the evacuation. Army personnel repaired and used the cinema, but reel changes could take a long time because of the equipment's limitations. Flooding was another defining feature of the venue's earlier history. High tides frequently reached the cinema and surrounding streets, sometimes during screenings. Audiences could find the premises or exit routes underwater, and local stories describe people leaving while men carried women to higher ground. A levy completed in 1974 brought an end to the regular tidal flooding problem. The venue also embodied the racial discrimination of mid-twentieth-century Broome. Until 1967, seating was arranged according to racial categories. Favoured Europeans occupied the central section, other white and Asian patrons used another area, and Aboriginal and other non-white patrons were confined to hard wooden benches with access through a separate door. A boycott began shortly before anti-discrimination laws were introduced in 1967. This episode is central to understanding the cinema's social history and its later heritage interpretation. Sun Pictures gained formal heritage protection in the late twentieth century. It was listed on the Register of the National Estate in 1989 and added to Western Australia's State Register of Heritage Places in 1995. These recognitions reflected the site's architectural, cultural and historical value and restricted restoration from altering its appearance or permitting demolition. Marrissa Ferraz bought the cinema in 1997 and commenced restoration in 1999. The operation expanded in 2002 when Sun Cinemas, an indoor cinema, opened beside the original outdoor venue. The addition complemented rather than replaced the heritage picture garden. In 2004, Guinness World Records recognised Sun Pictures as the oldest open-air cinema still operating. The venue subsequently continued to combine ordinary film screenings with cultural and promotional events. In 2009 it hosted the premiere of Bran Nue Dae, a Western Australian musical film, with a red-dirt carpet and a performance by Ernie Dingo. Sun Picture Gardens remains an active cinema and a Broome visitor attraction. Its proposition is based on the coexistence of contemporary film exhibition and a preserved outdoor setting. The venue is particularly distinctive because it has operated as a regular cinema rather than merely as an occasional seasonal outdoor screen; the reference material notes that it can show multiple films in a night, whereas many outdoor cinemas show only one or two films in a week.
- 2009
Bran Nue Dae premiere
[1]The venue hosted the premiere of the Western Australian musical film Bran Nue Dae.
- 2004
Guinness World Records recognition
[1]Sun Pictures was recognised as the oldest open-air cinema in operation.
- 2002
Sun Cinemas opens
[1]An indoor cinema opened alongside the original outdoor picture garden.
- 1999
Restoration begins
[1]Restoration work commenced under Ferraz's ownership.
- 1997
Marrissa Ferraz acquires the cinema
[1]Marrissa Ferraz purchased the venue before beginning restoration work.
- 1995
Added to the State Register of Heritage Places
[1]Western Australia recognised the site for its cultural and historical significance.
- 1989
Added to the Register of the National Estate
[1]The cinema received national heritage recognition and protection.
- 1974
Flood-control levy completed
[1]A levy reduced the regular tidal flooding that had historically affected the cinema and surrounding streets.
- 1967
Racial segregation challenged
[1]A boycott began shortly before anti-discrimination reforms ended the cinema's documented segregated seating practices.
- 1942
Broome evacuation during the Second World War
[1]The cinema was affected by Broome's wartime evacuation and subsequent damage to its projection equipment.
Products and positioning
Heritage cinema and destination entertainment venue
Outdoor cinema · 1916
Sun Pictures outdoor cinema
The original open-air cinema is the venue's defining offering. It presents films in a preserved heritage setting in Broome's Chinatown district, combining conventional cinema programming with an outdoor viewing environment. Its historical continuity, tropical location and distinctive architecture make the screenings a destination experience as well as a film exhibition service. The venue is notable for operating regularly and presenting multiple films in a night, rather than functioning only as an occasional outdoor screen.
Indoor cinema · 2002
Sun Cinemas
Sun Cinemas is the indoor cinema facility opened beside Sun Pictures in 2002. It broadened the operation beyond the original outdoor venue and provided a conventional cinema environment alongside the heritage picture garden. The indoor facility supports continuity of film exhibition when outdoor conditions are unsuitable and forms part of the broader Sun Pictures cinema operation.
Cinema events
Special screenings and premieres
The venue also accommodates special events linked to Australian film and local culture. Its most clearly documented event was the 2009 premiere of Bran Nue Dae, which used the cinema's setting for a red-dirt carpet and a live performance. Such events extend the site beyond routine exhibition and reinforce its role as a cultural landmark in Broome.
Controversies
1967
Racially segregated seating and boycott
Until 1967, Sun Pictures used racially segregated seating, including a separate entrance and hard wooden benches for Aboriginal and other non-white patrons. A boycott began shortly before anti-discrimination laws were introduced. The practice is a documented part of the cinema's history and is incompatible with contemporary equality standards.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009Bran Nue Dae premiere
Australia · Western Australia
Sun Pictures hosted the premiere of the Western Australian musical film Bran Nue Dae. The event featured a red-dirt carpet and a performance by Ernie Dingo, connecting the film's regional identity with the cinema's Broome heritage setting.
Outcome. The premiere gave the venue a prominent cultural-event role and associated it with a major Western Australian film occasion.
Brand decisions
2002
Addition of an indoor cinemaStrategyBackground
The heritage outdoor venue faced the practical limits of open-air exhibition and weather exposure.
Action taken
An indoor cinema called Sun Cinemas opened alongside Sun Pictures.
Aftermath
The business could operate an indoor and outdoor cinema format in parallel, broadening its exhibition capacity without replacing the historic picture garden.
1999
Heritage restoration programStrategyBackground
The cinema had acquired formal heritage recognition through national and Western Australian registers.
Action taken
Following her 1997 acquisition, Marrissa Ferraz began restoring the cinema in 1999.
Aftermath
Restoration supported the continued use of the venue as a functioning heritage cinema.
1933
Conversion to sound cinemaGeneration changeBackground
The cinema operated during the transition from silent films to talking pictures.
Action taken
Sun Pictures was adapted for sound presentation and screened Monte Carlo as its first sound film.
Aftermath
The venue entered the sound era while retaining its role as a local cinema.
Sources2 sources
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