Page 12 - CinemaRecord #80

dŚĞŌ

The successful charity opening night for the
remodeled Skyway Drive-In was very nearly
derailed before the night was even over as thieves ϭϵϴϱͲϭϵϴϵ͗ ůŽĐĂů ĐŽŶƐŽƌƟƵŵ 7KH VDPH UHDVRQ RI ORZ SUR¿WV ZRXOG DOVR VHH WKH
stole the safe containing the night’s takings of local consortium decide to close up business in
$900. A local consortium of businessmen comprising 1989 after trying to tough it out for the 18 months
7KH SURFHHGV OHVV WKH FRVW RI WKH ¿OP ZHUH GXH of Peter Sawyer, Paul Neville, Ron Hancock, leading up to the decision.
to be donated to the Bundaberg pensioner homes Neville Loxton and Steve Brennan, purchased According to Peter Sawyer the drive-in was
scheme. The heavy steel safe measuring 3ft x 2ft the Skyway Drive-in from Birch, Carroll & FORVLQJ ³ VLPSO\ EHFDXVH LW ZDV QRW DV
x 2ft (91cm x 61cm x 61cm) was in the manager’s Coyle in August 1985. SUR¿WDEOH DV LW KDG EHHQ 3HRSOH¶V WDVWHV IRU
RI¿FH DQG WKH WKLHYHV IRUFHG GRRUV RSHQ WR JHW Paul Neville was experienced in the industry, PRYLH YLHZLQJ KDYH REYLRXVO\ PRYHG WRZDUG
to it sometime between 12.30am and 5.00am the having managed the Olympia/Crest and WKHDWUHV DQG SDUWLFXODUO\ YLGHRV LQ WKH SDVW IHZ
morning of the 21st September. Wintergarden theatres, and been Wide Bay years in Bundaberg”.
Manager for Birch, Carroll & Coyle.
The safe was found soon after in bushland near Recently Paul Neville said that the drive-in
the Catholic Cemetery on Fitzgerald Street. Birch, Carroll & Coyle got out of the venture in survived black and white, and then colour TV,
While giving the public the impression they had VHHPLQJO\ EHFDXVH RI ORZ SUR¿WV 6SHDNLQJ but couldn’t survive the introduction of videos.
QR OHDGV SROLFH RI¿FHUV OD\ LQ ZDLW IRU KRXUV in 1989, the then theatre controller of Birch,
until the three thieves returned for the safe. Carroll & Coyle, Mr Bill Palmer, indicated There were rumours at the time that the land
One man was arrested at the scene and later WKDW WKH FRPSDQ\ VROG WKH GULYH LQ EHFDXVH ³... would be sub-divided but the theatre owners had
jailed for 12 months, while two others escaped. LW ZDV QRW SUR¿WDEOH IRU D ELJ FRPSDQ\ WR NHHS no plans for the site, other than its sale with all
One of the men who escaped was apprehended in it operating´ +H IXUWKHU ZHQW RQ WR VD\ WKDW ³it ¿[WXUHV LQ SODFH ,W UHPDLQHG WR EH VHHQ ZKHWKHU LW
Melbourne two years later. might have been possible for a family operation´ was purchased by someone interested in keeping
the drive-in operating or not.

12 2013 CINEMAREC ORD