A Look Around the Drive-In

Our old car bonnet sign - 2010.

The original drive-in projector. The projector was last used for the screening of 'Crocodile Dundee'

Inside the present projector and lamphouse. The film threads through projector from the upper big reel behind the lamphouse and ends up back on the lower big reel. Current lighting came from the closed Murray Bridge drive-in in 2006. Dating from the early ‘80s. This lamp uses a 4000w xenon globe.

This is a slide projector. Used for ‘still’ advertisements and messages.

Splicer and hand winder to put film to the big reel and wind it off again after screening.

This dis-used ‘Cinemeccanica’ lamphouse uses a carbon arc for illumination. Unit bought from the Port Augusta drive-in by the then ‘Desert Drive-in’ during the 1990’s. It dates from the 1950’s.

Typically, a movie arrives as six to eight twelve inch reels of film. These are spliced together into a continuous length and wound onto the top big spool positioned behind the projector. Only the centre projector is in use nowadays.

The old carbon arc lamphouses - made in Italy.

This is a trailer for a film.

The screen has handled some very strong winds over a very long time. It did lose some sheets a decade or so ago, but is tip-top now.

There are some speakers and audio is also broadcast on 96.5 FM radio which gives quality as good as your radio is capable of.

This mosaic mural in the canteen was a project involving local school children.

There has been upgrades to the canteen over the years, perhaps the last was in the ‘70s!

The long counter in the canteen.

Can't let this experience disappear!

Can't let this experience disappear!

Drive-In 1960's