By state List of drive-in theatres in Australia

1 state

1.1 victoria
1.2 new south wales
1.3 queensland
1.4 western australia
1.5 south australia
1.6 northern territory
1.7 tasmania
1.8 australian capital territory

by state

the remaining drive-ins provide glimpse of popular pastime in 1950s , 1960s. following listing of australia s remaining open drive-in theatres. includes portable operations in patrons can either drive or sit down see movie outdoors.

victoria

following visit united states in 1950s, hoyts southern division manager, george griffith jnr, believed drive-in theatres successful in australia. hoyts , fox did not share griffith s enthusiasm establishment of drive-in theatre, griffith subsequently formed syndicate, auto theatres pty ltd, decided on site in melbourne suburb of burwood australia s first drive-in theatre. construction proceeded through latter half of 1953 plans drawn ac leith bartlett & partners in conjunction rca australia. skyline burwood officially opened on 18 february 1954 , proved extremely popular, traffic jams in both directions along burwood highway. hoyts subsequently bought out griffith , partners.

following success of first drive-in theatre, skyline (burwood), hoyts opened skyline drive-in theatres @ preston in 1954, , oakleigh in march 1955. next hoyts drive-in constructed in broadmeadows (1958), there break of 10 years until hoyts acquired drive-ins @ coburg , oakleigh , constructed new drive-ins in bulleen (1965), wantirna (1968) , altona. in 1972 broadmeadows skyline first of melbourne suburban drive-ins close, whilst oakleigh site last drive-in operated hoyts in world, when closed in 1990.

today melburnians havie 10 screens in immediate vicinity choose (counting dromana being suburban melbourne). rural victorians have no drive-in theatres in operation.

lunar drive-in theatre (four screens), dandenong


the lunar dandenong australia s largest , oldest (still in operation) drive-in theatre. first opened 4 may 1956 , constructed j , k houlahan plans drawn baily , tilley. original capacity 400 cars redesigned accommodate 600 cars, final capacity being 634 cars. drive-in closed on 18 april 1984 , subsequently purchased trash , treasure australia pty ltd, operated sunday market on site in 1970s. on 19 september 2002 reopened two-screen drive-in, third screen added in september 2003 950-car capacity.


village coburg drive-in (3 screens), coburg


coburg opened in november 1965, under ownership of sillman , sharp. acquired hoyts in 1967 until closed in 1984. hoyts unable sell site despite numerous attempts , in 1987 village joined hoyts , re-opened coburg twin screen in 1987. third screen added in 1995. coburg australia s largest drive-in theatre 850 car capacity, until expansion @ dandenong in 2003.


dromana 3 drive-in (3 screens), dromana


the dromana opened in 1961 capacity of 485 cars. has since been expanded 3 screen operation , has sunday market operating site. 1 of 3 have never closed (since 1960s), operating continuously since inception (1961) present.

new south wales

the skyline drive-ins @ frenchs forest , dundas sydney s first. opened simultaneously on wednesday 24 october 1956, frenchs forest screening 3 ring circus , dundas screening racers.

the skyline in bass hill opened in november 1956, 724 car capacity , until closure in september 2007 australia s oldest continually operating drive-in theatre. followed skyline in newcastle in december 1956 @ cost of $200,000, capacity 722 cars , holding area further 420. newcastle skyline closed in june 1985. north ryde skyline, on lane cove road, accommodated 620 cars , operated 30 years 1956. until greater union blacktown drive in 1 of sydney s last remaining drive-ins, new seasonal facility blow screen has started @ randwick racecourse. caringbah drive-in shopping mall. few small community drive-ins remain in rural nsw.

greater union blacktown drive-in (2 screens), blacktown


blacktown skyline opened in 1960s. first of consolidated circuit add second screen in 1984 , has capacity of 700 cars. operated greater union.

heddon greta skyline (1 screen), heddon greta drive in opened in 1960 s between 1984 - 1996 theatre closed, has been reopened. theatre has capacity of 676 car. operated skyline (greater union/hoyts) , donna , scott seddon.



queensland

queensland had @ 1 stage on fifty drive-ins. of suburban brisbane drive-in theatres have closed leaving tivoli drive-in in ipswich, , gold coast s yatala closest drive-in theatres brisbane. in rural queensland however, there still number of drive-in theatres operating.

boondall drive-in, may 1958

brisbane s first drive-in capalaba opened in 1955. boondall drive-in opened on 8 february 1956, @ time had largest screen in australia. kids catered merry-go-round, miniature cobb & co coach , shetland ponies ride (brisbane telegraph, 6 feb 1956). site of boondall drive-in has been developed housing.

the burleigh heads drive-in 1 of queensland s first drive-ins when opened in 1957 500 car capacity. followed starlight drive-in @ aspley, opened in january 1957 (at cost of £100,000). fourth open, in april 1957, hoyts skyline drive-in located @ coopers plains @ cost of £200,000. hold 650 cars on 17 acres , had children s railway line, putt putt, badminton facilities , dance floor.

the starline drive-in opened near ipswich in 1960s. other drive-ins opened in , around brisbane in late 1960s, 1970s. these included keperra, western @ oxley, galaxy @ cannon hill , redcliffe drive-in on city s northern outskirts.

in 2002 small boutique drive-in opened in wonga (north of gympie), second screen added in 2004, increasing 250 car capacity. third screen subsequently added; in january 2010 drive-in closed, when owner went receivership. in september 2010 new owner took on operation of drive-in reopening in december year. drive-in has closed.

ayr stardust drive in, ayr


the stardust drive-in opened in september 1964, capacity of 360 cars. built within grounds hardtop cinema, patrons can choose between outdoor , indoor movies.


yatala drive-in during themed event in 2013



yatala 3 drive-in (3 screens), yatala


the yalta drive-in gold coast s last open-air drive-in theatre (in area formerly had on 20 drive-in theatres), formerly beenleigh drive-in, opened on 27 october 1974, , in 2000 theatre renamed yatala twin drive-in when second screen added. third screen added in 2013.


charters towers tors drive-in, charters towers


the charters towers tors drive-in opened in 1966 , has 2 screens capacity 300 cars.


jericho drive in, jericho


the jericho drive-in smallest public drive-in located in australia, , possibly world, capacity 36 cars. opened in 1969. movies screened once month.


rodeo drive in mareeba, mareeba


the mareeba rodeo drive-in built far northern theatres in 1960s. far northern theatres had circuit extended right through far northern queensland , papua new guinea. circuit sold birch carrol & coyle in 1970s. in mid-1980s, birch carrol & coyle pulled out , rodeo sold norm janke. janke operated drive-in until 1998 when closed. subsequently re-opened in 2002, 300 car capacity.

western australia

the first conventional drive-in located in western australia highway, opened in perth suburb of bentley in october 1955. 642 car capacity, started boom in suburban drive-ins saw further 8 operating end of decade (the skyline in floreat in november 1955, mott s in gosnells in january 1956, panorama in roleystone in march 1956, metro in innaloo, lakeway in swanbourne in april 1957, melway in melville, wirrina in morley in march 1959 , eastway in belmont in july 1959), 9 sites opening in 1960s (including starline in hilton). growth of perth s suburban drive-ins slowed 5 more built during 1970s last drive-in theatre, aceway, in suburb of morley, constructed in 1980.

in country areas, first open oasis in geraldton in 1957, , there 3 more built in 1950s; mayfair in bunbury, avonway in northam , morcady in wongan hills. boom years in country sixties, saw 61 drive-ins opened, growth slowing 6 more built in seventies , 1 in eighties.

by 1990s there 3 suburban drive-ins remained, metro (a twin screen site of 1984) in innaloo closed in 1993 followed highway (a twin screen site of 1986) in bentley closed in 1994; galaxy (established 1973) in kingsley remains open within perth surrounds. there few drive-in theatres , car-friendly outdoor cinemas still operating in rural western australia. dongara drive-in, built in 1966 , opened in january 1967, has been in continual operation since time. after storm in 2008 screen replaced , original projector upgraded. in 2015 projector upgraded digital. drive-in can accommodate 200 cars, whilst operates in summer longest continually running drive-in in western australia. koorda community drive-in opened in october 1965; closed in 1983 reopened in 1987. has capacity of 110 cars, has been updated digital, , screens monthly.

south australia

the blue-line drive-in located in west beach, adelaide first drive-in located in south australia, , first constructed outside of melbourne. opened on 28 december 1954, followed mainline drive-in theatre @ gepps cross on 7 october 1955, australia s first drive-in / walk-in theatre (with capacity 500 cars , seating 400 patrons). followed shandon in seaton in july 1956, hi-line in panorama in march 1957, , mgm metro @ marion in june 1957. first country drive-in opened @ port pirie in september 1957.

following closure of valleyline @ modbury in may 2003 left wallis mainline drive-in @ gepps cross remaining drive-in located in metropolitan adelaide. in country areas, closing of riverview @ murray bridge in february 2005 (after 46 years) , riverland in barmera in september 2008, community run facility @ coober pedy, coober pedy open air outback cinema, remains.

over years, list of drive-in s in metropolitan adelaide included:

ocean line drive-in theatre - dyson rd, christies beach
star line drive in elizabeth - main north rd, hillbank
mainline drive-in theatre - gawler rd, gepps cross
star line drive in gilles plains - blacks rd, gilles plains
star line drive in hectorville - glenburn rd, hectorville
metro drive-in theatre marion - oaklands rd, marion
park line drive-in theatre - marion rd, mitchell park
valley line drive-in theatre - tolley rd, modbury
star line drive in o halloran hill - majors rd, darlington
harbour line drive-in theatre - victoria rd, osborne
hi-line drive-in theatre - goodwood rd, panorama
hollywood drive-in theatre - winzor st, salisbury downs
star line drive in seaton - tapleys hill rd, seaton
blue line drive in theatres - military rd, west beach
star line drive in woodville north - grand junction rd, mansfield park

northern territory

darwin home paspalis (nightcliff) drive-in theatre, largest privately owned drive-in located in australia, opened in 1965 , closed in 1985. alice springs star line drive-in operated 1975 1990 closing when alice springs cinema opened in 1989.

none still open, although darwin s deckchair cinema provides seats in outdoor setting.

tasmania

tasmania had drive-in theatres @ glenorchy , warrane in hobart, , in launceston, devonport , burnie. last of tasmania s drive-in theatres @ elwick , mowbray closed in march 1985.

none still open

australian capital territory

former starlight drive-in sign, first neon sign in canberra , drive-in sign in australia still in original location.

the act had 2 drive-in theatres, starlight in watson (opened in january 1957 , closed in 1993), has been redeveloped medium-density housing, , sundown @ narrabundah (opened in 1968 , closed in 1984), motel , private housing village.

none still open




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