Cronulla School Of Arts

The Cronulla School of Arts Committee was established in 1903. Construction started on the original weatherboard building, on the corner of Surf Rd and Cronulla Rd began in 1904 and was completed in 1907. Construction began on a newer next door in 1912 (the present location on the corner of Surf Rd/Surf Ln), which was officially opened on 19 April 1913. The original weatherboard building was demolished in 1955.The Cronulla School of Arts hosted a library, meetings, concerts and social events. In fact, billiards played a significant role in attracting membership and funds through the early part of the 20th century. Then, in 1946, the president called for members to form clubs within the School of Arts. As a result, the Cronulla School of Arts Dramatic Society was established and began to stage performances in venues throughout the Sutherland Shire. The library remained in the building but was run by Sutherland Shire Council from 1955, after the Public Libraries Act 1939 encouraged local governments to create free public libraries.A decline in use around this time resulted in the School of Arts committee being disbanded. The site of the original weatherboard cottage was sold and in 1961-62 negotiations were underway to transfer ownership of the School of Arts building to the Council. The Dramatic Society had changed their name to the Cronulla School of Arts Theatre Group in 1958 and began to hold their performances in the auditorium of the School of Arts building. Faced with the loss of their performance space the Theatre Group reconstituted the School of Arts committee in 1961 and set about negotiating to retain control of the building. Over the next 2 years the theatre group made the necessary improvements to gain a license for public performance at the School of Arts and their first production – Will any Gentleman? – opened in November 1963, under the new name Arts Theatre Cronulla.In the 1930s 3 shops were leased in the front of the building to generate income. Through the early 1960s the new committee closed the billiard hall, expanding the available rental space to generate more income. The Library was moved across the road to the old Methodist Church building between 1969 and 1975.