Page 29 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

Above: The Drive-In’s that Roy built survive at Terang (left) as a Timber-yard office, and (right) Casterton as a private residence. (K. Adams)

In 1967 Roy purchased the Railway Many of the suitable programs that ran at In 1974 with the closure of the
hotel at Merino. Merino was founded the Casterton Coachline Drive-In were Penola (S.A.) Chevron Drive-In Roy
after the Henty Brothers, established also screened at Roy’s Commercial purchased the projection plant of Kalee
their pastoral empire of Merino Downs at Hotel Cinema at Merino. 11 projectors for $900 and installed
nearby Henty on the 3rd August, 1837. On many occasions I would do the them at Casterton. When the Drive-in at
When the town’s Commercial Hotel relief operating for Roy at the Drive-In Casterton was flooded in 1983, he
became available in 1969, on New that he and his family had physically decided to close the show after almost
Years Eve Roy closed the Railway built themselves - quite an undertaking. 16 years of operation.
Hotel, surrendered the license and the Constructed on the river flats, the His family purchased a motel in Mt.
family transferred to the Commercial Drive-in accommodated 100 cars and Gambier and soon after taking over, an
Hotel on the opposite side of the road, with his usual showmanship flair, Roy old Simplex projector was given pride
and in true showbiz style, were had collected old buggy and wagon of place at the entrance to the motel.
escorted from one hotel to the other by wheels then fitted the hubs with lights. Although the motel was operated by
the local pipe band. The wheels were attached to the pine his son and daughter-in-law, Roy
Some time later Roy and his sons slab fencing (offcuts from the timber continued to run movies around the
proceeded to demolish the Railway mill at Dartmoor) that defined the area using a 35mm portable outfit. He
Hotel, but it was not until after a lot of boundary and entrance to the Drive-in. ran his final show for Mt Gambier
the demolishing had been done that they The effect was quite pleasing and gave Rotary on his 88th birthday in 1997
discovered the original shingles under credibility to the Coachline name. ending sixty one years in the industry
the roofing iron. Roy regretted ever Initially his projection plant was during which he had worked in forty-
having demolished the old building also Raycophone J3 projectors with seven theatres, as well as operating 6
much of which dated from the 1850’s. Calder arc lamps.The screen was hotels and 3 caravan parks.
Being an inveterate showman Roy erected on large timber poles backed by Roy was honored as the well
converted a space between the two a stand of river gums. deserved “1999 Australian Cinema
wings at the rear of the Commercial Roy always wore a bow tie having Pioneer of the Year”. In the June 2001
Hotel into a cinema. From memory it converted in 1929 when his necktie was Queens Honors, he was awarded the
had seating for about 60 to 70 people gobbled up in the gears of a projector OAM for services to the cinema
and was equipped with a Raycophone nearly causing him to lose his chin. industry, particularly through the
J3, 35mm projection plant. His sons After Roy relinquished his interest preservation of the history and tradition
Greg and Michael operated the show on in the Merino hotel, he and his wife of film and cinema entertainment to the
Thursday nights with a Saturday lived in a large caravan at the Drive-In. community as a fundraiser.
matinee for the local kids. After a lifetime in the movie
They converted what had previously
Films had not been shown in the town been the seating area for car-less business, Roy passed away at Mt.
for many years from the time when the patrons into the lounge room retaining Gambier late in 2001 at the age of 92
Merino Mechanics Hall was a situation the large picture viewing window as years. “If there are Picture-shows in
for the Cooke and Baillie Touring circuit. their private viewing room. Heaven, I know who’ll be there!” ★

References:
Personal communication.
The Border Watch. 13th
July 1995
Adelaide Advertiser 20th
Feb. 1998.
Notes from The Cinema
Pioneers
Above: Early days at Merino’s Commerical Bulletin, Oct.1999.
Hotel. Photographs from Ross
King & Kevin Adams
Right: The Commercial Hotel Cinema
Collections.
comes alive in 2009. (Photo courtesy of
the Casterton Historical Society).

CINEMARECORD 2010 29