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Family Fun

at the

ll roads led to Ipswich (Qld) on
A October 30th for a great, fun-
filled Classic Cars and Hot Rodders
Movie Night at the Tivoli Drive-In
Theatre. Car enthusiasts and movie- The theatre closed and was sold by
goers enjoyed the double-feature mortgagee auction in 1989/90. It re-
program of It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad opened in the early 90s and operated
World plus Jeff Bridges in The Last with dwindling support until a kitchen
American Hero. fire finally closed it down in 1999.
Drive-In movies first came to It was at this time that the Rivers Of
Ipswich when Birch Carroll & Coyle Life Christian Church looked at the
opened the Starline Drive-In back in property for a future home. The
1959. organisation finally acquired the theatre
A newcomer of the early 1970s, the in 2003 and have since invested over
Tivoli is now the sole survivor, despite $1million in redeveloping the site as a
its own chequered career. church and community centre.
They then re-opened the drive-in for
fortnightly community movies in April
2008. By September, popularity
demanded weekly screenings which
now continue to provide both family
rated movies for the public and
valuable work experience for
Hospitality Industry trainees.
The Tivoli Miracle Centre is located
in Coal Road, Chuwar in suburban
Ipswich. It’s well worth a visit to enjoy
the magic of the movies in a safe and
friendly environment on their giant
30m x 15m screen.

Story by Kevin Adams. With many thanks
to Pastor Fred Muys for information, and
Reg Sothman for supplying photographs.

TIVOLI

Drive-In Theatre

CINEMARECORD 2010 23