Page 13 - CR

Plenty of fun

at the Drive-in

Former Rowville resident, Gwen Hayes
remembers the early days…

From the opening night in July
1956 until at least twelve months later,
I worked at the Drive-In.
On week nights I started work there
around 6pm as I was working at the
SEC office in Dandenong during the
day, but on Saturdays I’d be there
between 2 and 3 o’clock to help Stewart Finn, the Drive In manager,
prepare stock in the cafeteria. looked after all of the outdoor staff and
The gates opened at about 5.30 pm sometimes when things were hectic in
because we served meals – fantastic the cafeteria he would come in and
they were too – and people ate them help. Stewart’s wife Dot worked in the
while the nips played in the playground. ticket box.

There was a chef employed to Top: New ticket box with Olympic motifs!
Middle: Children’s party in front of the café.
oversee the meals: steaks, grills, fish
Below: The Sun Tour cyclists on Stud Road,
and chips plus salads. All the hot food
passing the Drive-In theatre in the 1950s.
was prepared outside in a big barbecue
area built off the main dining room.
My cousin, Graeme McIntyre, and
another local, Bob Anderson, did all the
cooking.
Inside we served the salads, hot and
cold drinks, ice creams (which we used
to make up), confectionery and
cigarettes. The indoor crew included
my cousins, Margaret and Dorothy
McIntyre, Bob Anderson’s wife, Lou
the chef and his wife Joy plus Jack
Wilkinson, the cafeteria manager.

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