Opened - 1955
Closed - 1984
Capacity - 862 cars
Screens - One
Operator - Village Drive-in Essendon Pty Ltd
Location - Bulla road/Melrose drive, Tullamarine
Owner - Built and operated by Village from opening to closure.Interesting information - The first ever movie at the Essendon Drive-in was "Bridges at Toko-Ri" . The Bridges At Toki-Ri, is a film from 1954 about a certain mission that the United States Navy pilots were to carry out during The Korean War.
This cinema was built on a 14-acre site of land.
When the drive in closed the streets located around the theatre where named Forum, Columbia and Paramount to pay tribute to the drive-in and film companies.
Maribyrnong Drive-in
Opened - 1955
Closed - 1990
Capacity - 940
Screens - one, later two
Operator - Big 6/Hoyts
Location - Rosamond Road, Maribyrnong
Owner - Built by a consortium of people including Mick Bramely formerly of Hoyts. They then sold it around 1963 so they could put the money into building the Calder raceway. At that time Dick Silman and Alex Sharp bought the drive-in. In 1967 they sold it to Hoyts. Hoyts operated it until closure.
Interesting information - The Drive-in clashed with the Highpoint multiplex across the road in 1989. It was only a matter of time before the land value was so high it was sold (now a homemaker centre).
A Trash and Treasure market was held first Sunday of every month.
One of many publicity stunts for the drive-in theatre was the arrival of Batman and Robin in the carpark by parachute just before fifteen vintage episodes of Batman was just about to start. Then there was a barbeque and a children's playground and other special events that created a carnival atmosphere.
The first Drive-in in Australia which was built in 1954 was the skyline in Burwood, a suburb of Melbourne . It's first film was "On the Riviera" starring Danny Kaye.
The first operating ever drive-in was in Camden, New Jersey in America. This drive-in was built on June 6th 1933. It was created by Richard M Hollingshead. For more info on the first drive in visit www.Driveintheater.com/history/1930.htm
References
R.W Chalmers 1998, The annals of Essendon volume 2 (1925 - 1962)
Olwen Ford & Pamela Lewis 1989, Maribyrnong - Action in tranquility