TTTT - Reviving Monto - The Rex Theatre - Monto, QLD

Welcome to FRRR’s Tackling Tough Times Together podcast – about how people in remote, rural and regional Australia helped one another pull through the harshest droughts in living memory.

In this episode, we find out how a historic theatre, on the brink of collapse, was brought back to life by the local community, reinvigorating the town with it.

We chat to community leaders about the challenges they faced, how they responded, what impact their project had and the legacy it left. They share their stories and lessons learnt, as we all learn how to cope with an increasingly dry climate.

The Rex Theatre in Monto has been a vital part of Queensland’s North Burnett community since the art deco cinema was first built in the 1930s. It’s a place held dear for childhood movie memories, first dates and magical meetings of couples who would go on to marry. But it had fallen into disrepair, closed to the public for nearly two decades.

The Rex Board had long dreamed of renovations to bring the old building to life once more. So, when FRRR contributed more than $58,000 of Tackling Tough Times Together funding, the town rejoiced that The Rex would again shine as the hub of town gatherings.

Managing Director of The Rex, Carly Baker-Burnham, says reinvigorating its old bones has given locals a chance to focus on something other than the long drought that has shaken the region. She tells us how the project has brought tourists and renewed interest to the town - resulting in once-empty shops on the main streets thriving again.

This project was supported by FRRR - the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal– thanks to partnerships with philanthropy, government and business, and the generosity of individuals, all of whom share the vision of a vibrant, resilient, sustainable and empowered rural Australia.

FRRR acknowledges the Dja Dja Wurrung people as the Traditional Custodians of Jaara country at Bendigo, where the organisation is headquartered. We also acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations around this vast country, and pay respect to their Elders past and present, and to the continuation of the custodial, cultural and educational practices of Australia’s First Peoples.

GET IN TOUCH
The Tackling Tough Times Together podcast was produced for FRRR, the only charity focussed on building the social and economic strength of remote, rural and regional Australia. It was funded in partnership with the Australian government.

For further information on anything shared in this podcast, or if you have a project and would like to apply for funding, or you would like to support these kinds of projects, head to www.frrr.org.au or call 1800 170 020.

CREDITS
Host: Nance Haxton
Production Assistance: Michael Adams
Interviewee: Carly Baker-Burnham, Managing Director of The Rex Theatre

RESOURCES
FRRR - www.frrr.org.au
The Rex Theatre, Monto - www.facebook.com/therexmonto/