Broken Hill pays homage to champion of outback's Silver City Cinema

By Kristina Rosengren and Andrew Schmidt

Fri 5 Jun 2026 at 6:30am

A cinema building with bright lights and a sign that says 'city cinema', under a sky at dusk — Silver City Cinema is the last surviving cinema in Broken Hill. (Supplied: Michael Boland)

The outback town of Broken Hill and its surrounds in far west New South Wales are the backdrop to some of Australia's most iconic films.

Whether it be the Mad Max 2 road warriors tearing through an apocalyptic wasteland, Bernadette winning over the hearts of the Palace Hotel patrons in Priscilla Queen of the Desert or the mental unravelling of John Grant in Wake in Fright, the remote mining town has played its own role in shaping Australian cinema and cultural identity.

While film crews and famous casts have come and gone, the local cinema has stood for almost 60 years as one of the last surviving connections between the city and the film industry.

A film poster with miners and an illustrated sun — The 1971 Australian one-sheet poster for the original release of Wake in Fright. (Supplied: Wake in Fright Trust)

Now its current owners are honouring the local legend who sacrificed everything to keep that connection alive.

Devoted to the cinema

The Silver City Cinema opened in 1967 on the site of the former Century Theatre, which burned down in 1964.

But John Wren and his family are known locally as its longest-running custodians.

An old black and white photo of an art deco building lit up with bright lights — The Century Theatre, where the Silver City Cinema is located, was destroyed by fire in 1964. (Supplied: Michael Boland)

Mr Wren purchased the cinema in 1979, after already acquiring the local Village Drive-Inn theatre, driven by a determination to provide quality movie entertainment in Broken Hill.

Navigating tricky film distribution deals, competing against the arrival of video hire, and heading into an economic downturn, Mr Wren's devotion was tested from the beginning.

A black and white photograph of a man dressed up as Rambo, posing with a gun — John Wren was known as a showman, often dressing up as titular characters for film releases. (Supplied: John Wren)

While these challenges forced Mr Wren to relinquish the drive-in, he never let go of the cinema.

He encouraged patronage by dressing up as popular movie characters including Rambo and Chopper Read, while collaborating with local schools, clubs and charities for numerous fundraising events.

His cinema also played a pivotal role in the production of Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981).

Mr Wren would keep the cinema open until the early hours of the morning for producers to test their raw footage on the big screen.

A hand holding a picture of cars on red dirt with the pinnacles in Broken Hill in the background. — Action shot of vehicles coming over the brow of the hill towards to compound in Broken Hill during filming of Mad Max 2. (Supplied: Ian Mitchell/Colin Jay)

Scott Smith, who has recently published a book on the history of cinema in regional South Australia and Broken Hill, said it showed how cinema and the Australian film industry went hand in hand.

"His contribution was vital to that movie," Mr Smith said.

A black and white photo of a shirtless man with hand drawn tattoos, sunglasses and fake guns — John Wren dressed as Chopper Read for a film release. (Supplied: John Wren)

"His role was absolutely integral to having that movie in Broken Hill."

Mr Wren remembers that era fondly.

"You could say Broken Hill was the place of Mad Max,"

Mr Wren said.

"I affiliated quite well with all the Mad Max boys and Mel Gibson, [I] took him out for a few drinks at the time at the Black Lion Inn and down the Night Train.

"He was a character and they were all good people."

While Mr Wren experienced several "golden ages" at the cinema, it did not stop the challenges from coming.

A black and white image of two men shaking hands and another man in the background over text — John Wren (left) meeting Mad Max 2 producer Byron Kennedy (right), who would later use the cinema to test raw footage. (Supplied: Adrian Bennett)

In 1997, Mr Wren was faced with the possibility of becoming a quadriplegic, after undergoing an operation to remove a tumour from his spinal cord.

His sons Ashton and Clifford Wren stepped in to run the cinema, as Mr Wren fought an intense battle to regain his health.

"It was unbelievable the way the Broken Hill public supported, in their own way, to keep the revival of the cinema going," Mr Wren said.

But like many independent cinemas across Australia, the COVID-19 pandemic dealt the final blow to the business, forcing the Wren family to make the difficult decision to sell.

"I just wished I could go on for another 40 years ... it's been a privilege to be able to provide the entertainment for Broken Hill,"

Mr Wren said.

The Broken Hill Musicians Club stepped in to become its new owner in 2022, now operating under the club's not-for-profit model to ensure locals could continue to enjoy the local cinema.

Strong draw to independent cinema

Chief executive of Independent Cinemas Australia Nick Hayes said there were a number of ongoing challenges threatening independent cinemas, chief among them film distribution deals.

A bald man wearing black rimmed glasses standing in front of a wall and smiling at the camera — Nick Hayes believes independent cinemas are buoyed by their connection to local communities. (Supplied: Nick Hayes)

"The distributors have the expense of obviously making the film and repping it in Australia, and then the cinema takes on the risk of then playing that," he said.

"If you're a single screen [cinema] and the one or two films that you're showing that week underperform, it's a much bigger impact than if you've got a [multiplex]."

These challenges come on top of regular small business costs, including energy, insurance, wages and infrastructure, along with ongoing competition against streaming platforms.

A man standing outside a cinema building and holding a book on South Australian cinemas — Scott Smith has compiled research on SA and Broken Hill's cinemas throughout history. (ABC Broken Hill: Kristina Rosengren)

Despite this, Mr Hayes maintained regional cinemas were resilient due to their deep connection with local communities.

"It's crucial for any town to have that civic identity and cinemas are a great place for that to happen,"

Mr Hayes said.

It was a position echoed by Mr Smith, who believed there was enormous positivity around regional cinema.

"It's invaluable to [the regions], particularly smaller towns," Mr Smith said.

"A lot [of cinemas] are actually diversifying their business … putting on different types of movies as well and also offering community events [and] community fundraising."

Revival plans

The local community gathered at the Silver City Cinema for the unveiling of a plaque honouring Mr Wren's contribution to the local institution.

Michael Boland of the Broken Hill Musicians Club, who was offered his first job at the cinema by Mr Wren, said it was important to honour his contribution.

A man standing behind the counter at a cinema concession stand smiling at the camera — Michael Boland, who was given his first job by Mr Wren, is planning to renovate the Silver City Cinema. (ABC Broken Hill: Kristina Rosengren)

"In Broken Hill, we tend to wait until the person's passed away to name something after them, but we really want to recognise John while he's still here," Mr Boland said.

"The main auditorium, where there's 300 to 400 seats, we're going to rename the John Wren or Johnny Wren Theatre."

As part of the event, Mr Boland also announced preliminary plans to renovate the cinema to restore it to its former glory.

While the proposal is still being finalised, Mr Boland indicated he would like to restore the building to the art deco style of the former Century Theatre.