Australian Open Drive-in Theatres
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Drive-in theatres (also known as Drive-In Cinemas or Drive-ins) were once very popular in Australia. There were once over 330 drive-in theatres open, but since the early 1980s, most drive-ins closed following the introduction of video cassette recorders and changing consumer tastes, leading to alternative land uses.
However, a handful of drive-in theatres still survive and some have in fact prospered. In the 1990s, the Coburg Drive-in Theatre in Melbourne, was expanded to 3 screens, as was the Dromana Drive-in Theatre which now also has 3 screens. In more recent times the former Dandenong Panoramic Drive-in, in Victoria, has been reopened as the Lunar Drive-in Theatre and now boasts 3 screens. The Wonga Drive-in Theatre in Queensland has also expanded and now has 3 screens also. The Rodeo Drive In at Mareeba, near Cairns has new owners and is attracting good crowds.
Along with a few metropolitan operations, there are a number of Drive-ins serving remote communities such as Jericho in Queensland.
The remaining drive-ins provide a glimpse of what was a very popular pastime in the 1950s and 1960s. The following is a listing of Australia's remaining open drive-in theatres. It also includes portable operations in which patrons can either drive or sit down to see a movie outdoors.
Contents |
[edit] Victoria
- Dandenong: Lunar Drive-in Theatre, Dandenong (3 screens)
- Coburg: Triple Drive-in Theatre, Coburg (3 Screens)
- Dromana: Dromana 3 Drive-in, Dromana (3 Screens)
[edit] New South Wales
- Blacktown: Greater Union Blacktown Skyline (2 Screens)
- Heddon Greta Skyline
- Lightning Ridge
- Tibooburra
[edit] Queensland
- Ayr Stardust Drive In
- Yatala Twin Drive-In Theatre (2 screens)
- Charters Towers Tors
- Jericho
- Mareeba Rodeo Drive In
- Wonga Triple Drive In Theatre
[edit] Western Australia
- Busselton
- Dongara
- Galaxy Drive-in Theatre, Kingsley (Perth)
- Kununurra Picture Gardens (scroll down the page for details)
- Leinster
- Margaret River
- Mt Tom Price Open Air Drive In Theatre
- Paraburdoo
- Wyndham Picture Gardens
[edit] South Australia
- Barmera Riverland Drive-in (1 screen)
- Coober Pedy (1 screen)
- Wallis Mainline Drive-in Theatre, Gepps Cross (1 screen)
[edit] Northern Territory
- None still open, although Darwin's Deckchair Cinema provides seats in an outdoor setting.
[edit] Tasmania
- None still open
[edit] Australian Capital Territory
- None still open
[edit] Portable Drive-in Theatres
- Galaxy Travelling Outdoor Cinema
- Moonlight Cinema
