The Amusu Theatre is an important example of a small half-hall purpose-built cinema in a rural town with a very small population, which has been continuously operated under the one ownership since its construction in 1936. [
The ownership has changed to the council since the building was heritage-listed.]

The cinema is a tangible link with the earliest days of the movie industry and its impact upon communities, especially those in rural Australia, throughout the 20th century.
The building contains a collection of movie memorabilia, fixtures and fitting which evokes an understanding of its social and cultural significance.
The building and its contents, as a total package, is a rare educative and evocative resource
Amusu Theatre was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 26 November 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.

The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales.

The Amusu is a living icon of the importance in the course and pattern of NSW's cultural history that was played, and continues to play by, film and cinemas.
The Amusu has direct association with the life and work of Allan Tom, the travelling picture show man, whose contribution throughout the bulk of the 20th Century to NSW cultural life was recognised by the award of the OAM.
Few other cinemas in NSW have operated continuously since construction, in this case 1936.
Member of pioneer family with direct links to squatting, sheep runs and first discovery of gold at Ophir; association with the evolution of the movie and cinema industry in Australia from the silent era to 1990s; known as "The travelling picture show man".

Possibly no other continuously operating picture theatre has such historical - albeit historic connotations with its association with a person of Alan Tom's background as a travelling picture show man [from 1923], and being recognised with an AM for his contribution to entertainment in Australia.

The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

The theatre's small but slightly pretentious facade is an important and recognised part of the streetscape of its small community.

The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.

The Amusu has strong and special association with central and western NSW for the role it and Tom played in rural communities' social and cultural life The Amusu has provided social and cinematic entertainment continuously to its community for over sixty years.
When on the road, the Amusu Touring Talkies often provided the only entertainment other than the occasional bush dance.
Very few, perhaps no other cinema in NSW has operated continuously by the same family since construction - in this case a period of 63 years.
Few, if any cinemas in NSW, possess the memorabilia, records of purchases and film bookings for such a long period as the Amusu does.

The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

The Amusu has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of NSW's cultural history and the role of cinemas. .
The Amusu's importance lies in its ability to demonstrate a high degree of creative or technical achievement in adaptation of then new technologies to harsher conditions within rural NSW.
Few cinemas in NSW apart from the Amusu, have arc-lamp projectors dating from the 1930s and 1940s in operational condition (although a number have had them dormant for many years in closed projection boxes).
The building and its contents demonstrates how cinematography developed throughout the 20th century.
The still operating equipment is a valuable resource, and retains the ability to play various mediums where such machinery is becoming increasingly harder to procure; collection of cinema objects, once common place, are becoming scarc
The Amusu Theatre is an important example of a small half-hall purpose-built cinema in a rural town with a very small population, which has been continuously operated under the one ownership since its construction in 1936. [The ownership has changed to the council since the building was heritage-listed.]
The cinema is a tangible link with the earliest days of the movie industry and its impact upon communities, especially those in rural Australia, throughout the 20th century. The building contains a collection of movie memorabilia, fixtures and fitting which evokes an understanding of its social and cultural significance. The building and its contents, as a total package, is a rare educative and evocative resource
Amusu Theatre was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 26 November 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.
The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales.
The Amusu is a living icon of the importance in the course and pattern of NSW's cultural history that was played, and continues to play by, film and cinemas. The Amusu has direct association with the life and work of Allan Tom, the travelling picture show man, whose contribution throughout the bulk of the 20th Century to NSW cultural life was recognised by the award of the OAM. Few other cinemas in NSW have operated continuously since construction, in this case 1936. Member of pioneer family with direct links to squatting, sheep runs and first discovery of gold at Ophir; association with the evolution of the movie and cinema industry in Australia from the silent era to 1990s; known as "The travelling picture show man".
Possibly no other continuously operating picture theatre has such historical - albeit historic connotations with its association with a person of Alan Tom's background as a travelling picture show man [from 1923], and being recognised with an AM for his contribution to entertainment in Australia.
The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.
The theatre's small but slightly pretentious facade is an important and recognised part of the streetscape of its small community.
The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.
The Amusu has strong and special association with central and western NSW for the role it and Tom played in rural communities' social and cultural life The Amusu has provided social and cinematic entertainment continuously to its community for over sixty years. When on the road, the Amusu Touring Talkies often provided the only entertainment other than the occasional bush dance. Very few, perhaps no other cinema in NSW has operated continuously by the same family since construction - in this case a period of 63 years. Few, if any cinemas in NSW, possess the memorabilia, records of purchases and film bookings for such a long period as the Amusu does.
The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
The Amusu has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of NSW's cultural history and the role of cinemas. . The Amusu's importance lies in its ability to demonstrate a high degree of creative or technical achievement in adaptation of then new technologies to harsher conditions within rural NSW. Few cinemas in NSW apart from the Amusu, have arc-lamp projectors dating from the 1930s and 1940s in operational condition (although a number have had them dormant for many years in closed projection boxes). The building and its contents demonstrates how cinematography developed throughout the 20th century. The still operating equipment is a valuable resource, and retains the ability to play various mediums where such machinery is becoming increasingly harder to procure; collection of cinema objects, once common place, are becoming scarc
Amusu Theatre