Moe Fairsky

Opened: 1964
Location: Moe, Victoria
Capacity: 500
Screens: One
Operator: Connelly, Donnelly & Flynn
Closed: 1998

Brief history:
The Fairsky certainly was a survivor, but alas it is no more. Old Rex Donnelly finally called it a day in 1998 when heart trouble forced him to sell the drive-in his father Alf built back in 1964.

The name Fairsky is from the Sitmar ship that took Alf on a cruise to the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. A typical brick (orange) construction common in the 1960's it was located in pleasant surrounds on the far side of Moe. Cinemeccanica Victoria 8's and a platter were housed in the projection room. Cine-fi AM and speakers were available. (The projectors are now at the Westgarth cinema in Northcote, a Melbourne suburb).

I visited one night in the late 1980's. As I approached the ticket box I saw Rex run to man it, he sold me the ticket and I found my position on the ramp. I wandered into the diner for a hamburger and it was Rex who took my order, cooked it and you guessed it, rang it up on the cash register! I visited the projection room to have a look and to my disappointment, Rex was nowhere to be seen, a projectionist was threading up. The picture on the screen was a good brightness for a drive-in, but the sound...........my guess is the amps had let go a decade before or the processor was in a bucket of water, it was almost unintelligable.

This operation was typical of many of the country drive-ins that hung on past the mid-1980's. If the operation was rationalised and schrewdly run, profits were still to be had. On the weeknight I visited, only another 8 cars were in attendance, but come the weekend and warmer weather, look out, in they came.

Moe R.I.P.......Stop Press, Screen demolished in June 2000, snack bar now used as a residence.