Camp Hill Cinema’s Second Act: Where Antiques, Coffee and Community Meet
Camp Hill Cinema’s Second Act: Where Antiques, Coffee and Community Meet
Photo Credit: Camp Hill Antique Centre/Facebook
On the main street of Camp Hill, an old cinema has been given a second chance. Once the Planet Cinema of the 1950s, the building now houses Brisbane’s largest hub for vintage treasures. The Camp Hill Antique Centre is a place where the past is not only remembered but lived in every day. Step through the front doors and it feels less like a shop and more like a journey through time, with each corner offering a glimpse into another era.
The Camp Hill Antique Centre & Tart Café is the creation of partners Sarah Jane Walsh and Paul Butler, who previously ran the much-loved Woolloongabba Antique Centre. When that chapter closed in 2017, they began searching for a new home. The former cinema in Camp Hill became their answer — a building they spent two years carefully reworking to balance preservation with modern comfort. Their vision was to give Brisbane a place where history could be experienced, not just observed. What was once a sloped cinema floor with possums in the ceiling was transformed into a polished antique centre, saving the landmark from demolition.
Today, more than 70 dealers showcase their collections inside the 1,000-square-metre centre. Estate jewellery sits alongside mid-century leather chairs, shelves of uranium glass glow under UV light, and racks of vintage clothing tempt those looking for something one-of-a-kind. Many of the items have travelled from Europe and the United States, while others carry the quiet stories of Australian homes.
On 15 August 2025, the team marked the anniversary of that transformation, inviting the community to celebrate how far the space has come.
The Centre’s Social Side
What sets Camp Hill apart is how it blends antiques with community. At the centre of it all is the Tart Café, built around the cinema’s original candy bar. The café serves breakfasts, lunches and tapas, and even features cakes named after Hollywood icons like Sophia Loren and Jayne Mansfield. A mural of cinema patron saints looks over the space, reminding visitors of the building’s original purpose.
Beyond the café, there’s a flower shop, a retro-style barbershop open on Saturdays, and regular workshops. Classes range from macramé to 1950s pin-up styling, drawing in locals who come as much for the social interaction as for the antiques. The effect is less like visiting a store and more like spending a day inside a living museum.
A Place to Slow Down
The centre’s design encourages people to linger. Wide aisles, cool air-conditioning and the comfort of off-street parking make it easy to take time wandering from stall to stall. Each dealer adds a distinct character, so the experience feels like stepping through dozens of small, personal histories. For many visitors, it’s not only about buying — it’s about reliving memories, sharing stories and enjoying a slower pace in the middle of the city.
A Legacy Carried Forward
Walsh and Butler’s decision to relocate their vision to Camp Hill has ensured Brisbane did not lose a beloved cultural hub when Woolloongabba closed. The Camp Hill Antique Centre has quickly found its own identity, rooted in the suburb’s sense of community. By saving the cinema from redevelopment, they have created a space that holds both memory and promise.
For locals, the centre is more than a shopping destination. It is a reminder that history is best appreciated when it can be touched, tasted and shared — whether through a vintage leather armchair, a slice of cake named after a silver-screen star or a workshop that teaches an old craft in a new way.
