In 1953 Jack Gerard painted “Australia’s largest” Union Jack on the facade of the Tasma to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was part of his innovative “publicity package” to promote the 1953 Technicolor story of Queen Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne. Hundreds flocked to see it and Betty Sara, the mother of the famous Bellingen quadruplets (the first set of quads to survive in Australia), won the Queen Elizabeth lookalike contest.

“A Queen is Crowned” was screened simultaneously at Jack’s two cinemas, the Tasma and the Jetty Memorial. Paid admission reached 7785 – 1785 more viewings than Coffs Harbour’s population at the time, clearly a town of Royalists! Jack received a letter of congratulations from the Queen herself.

This was just one of the films that won Jack Australian and international awards for showmanship, others included Walt Disney’s “Cinderella” and the Australian film “Robbery Under Arms”, when he re-enacted the robbery in Coffs Harbour’s High Street.

Tasma and Memorial theatres special Coronation issue - 2 colour printing. May, June, July 1953.