Alderwood Manor
This plaque is located outside Alderwood Manor, 56 Curdie St.
The 1906 billboard shows the advertising of local businesses that supported the horticultural society’s flower show.
“We acknowledge the Eastern Maar Traditional Custodians of this region and thank them for their protection of local ecosystems we still enjoy today. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.”
This building, the first Cobden Public Hall, was opened with a grand concert on June 28th, 1906. Established by architect Mr M McCabe and builder Mr H H Clarke, it was entirely funded by the community. Over the years, the site included a Mechanics Institute (including a library) and the building was used as a theatre, a ballroom, an after-hours boxing venue, a roller-skating rink, a basketball court, community and council meeting rooms and a Capitol Cinema.
On October 10th, 1931, the first ‘talkies’ were shown with movies available at least twice a week – mainly Wednesday and Saturday. Admission to the theatre was threepence, a lot of money in those days. By April 1954, “Up to 100 people are turned away from the pictures every Saturday night” (The Age, Melbourne) sparking the discussions for a new and larger public hall.
In 1961, the hall was leased and sold to Beaurepaires Tyres. Thirty-seven years later, in 1998, Greg Suter bought it for his kitchen and joinery business and, most recently, in 2018, it became the birthplace of Alderwood Speakers.
Alderwood Speakers was founded right here by inventor and audio change-maker Scott Wilkinson who produces the world’s most powerful compact audio solutions. Alderwood speakers are used across all home theatre, marine, live sound, commercial spaces and education fields. Produced here in Cobden, they are available across Australia and internationally.
When couple Scott Wilkinson and Chelsea Hatherall took ownership of the Manor in 2018, they began the slow process of restoration. It mostly involved the removal of many years of modifications from previous lives, bringing the space back to its former glory (with some modern-day touches including an Alderwood surround sound and Christie digital projection installation).
In 2019, the Phoenix Project launched its pilot season here to bring the community together after the St Patrick’s Day fires. The project continues to run film nights, live music and various creative workshops.
“Welcoming community back into this space has been an honour, and a nod to what this building was originally constructed for.” (Scott and Chelsea)
