On February 18 1954, an advertisement appeared in the Melbourne Sun; "Opening tonight at 6:30 Australia's first drive-in theater". The Skyline in Burwood, a Melbourne suburb, became the first of more than 330 drive-ins that were built across Australia and changed the way Australians saw movies forever.

Welcome to the Drive-ins Downunder web site - a tribute to the drive-in theaters of Australia and the world.

Another drive-in has reopened it is the old Ipswich Tivoli in Queensland. See what is screening here Tivoli Drive-in If you are in the Brisbane area this drive-in is now the 2nd operating in the South East Queensland area along with Yatala Twin. Bass Hill in Sydney is closed awaiting demolition but the Wonga Triple continues to draw crowds up the highway just out of Gympie.

If you are in Victoria be sure to visit Australia's largest drive-in, the Lunar Dandenong in Melbourne. For all of the session details seewww.lunardrive-in.com.au Add it to your favourites right away. Dromana is currently trading as a twin drive-in due to recent storm damage. Please support Dromana as it will be trading as usual on the remaining two screens. If you are in the north of Melbourne then Village Coburg is your closest drive-in, if only they could do something about the lights on the football oval behind screen 2! If you love them, support them! Please send in your photo scans of old drive-ins too, and thanks to those that have.

Val Morgan once were a great supporter of drive-in theatres. Sadly today they descriminate against drive-ins and advertisers. On the same week a movie runs at Lunar Dandenong and various other multiplexes in the area. The drive-in has one film-ad on that film, the multiplex has 8 film-ads on that same film. So what you may ask, well over twice as many people see the film at the drive-in compared to the multiplex! Why do Val Morgan deceive their advertisers (Ford, Holden, McDonalds, Governments etc) by schedulling the ads at a Hoyts or Village multiplex in this discriminating fashion? Hoyts and Village bailed Val Morgan out from bankruptcy a few years back. So Val Morgan appear to be paying back the large chains for this help and independent drive-ins and cinemas, and especially the advertisers get ripped off once again. You may consider the ads not an important part of the drive-in experince, but the revenue they bring in helps keep the admission price down. You can let advertisers and Val Morgan know how you feel about it here email Val Morgan

If you want to create your own drive-in at home in the yard check out Super 8 Centre. It sells the last of the old Australian drive-in speakers! These were once common, but when these are gone that is it.

One of Hollywoods biggest comedy names of the 1920's was Snub Pollard. His hilarious and inventive one and two reel comedy shorts were popular all over the world. He was born right here in Melbourne, Australia. If you have any old films, photos, cuttings or information, I am always buying items to add to my collection.

David Kilderry Winter 2008

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