Page 27 - CinemaRecord #84

Mundaring Weir, WA

Mundaring Weir, the home of this unique “New” meant renovating an old existing bush Department of Environment and
cinema, is located in the Perth Hills, some 35 pole garage and adjoining "A" framed shelter Conservation (DEC), Dr Syd Shea.
km east of the city. The weir supplies water to into forming an entry area, ticket box and kiosk
Perth and is the starting point of the 550 km with the "A" frame providing a shelter area for The name "Kookaburra" was inspired by the
Goldfields Pipeline, which supplies the the kiosk. laughing Kookaburras for Fox Movietone
Kalgoorlie Goldfields area. One of the biggest challenges of the project was Newsreels of old, and the large numbers of
erecting the screen. Apart from a hired hoist to these birds present in the Jarrah trees about
The following article has been compiled from lift the screen sections in place there was much the cinema site. They are very cheeky birds
details on the Kookaburra Cinema’s web site, climbing done, so it was very much “hands on” and many a patron's picnic has been
with additional details provided by Lindsay in temperatures of over 38 degrees. disturbed by the rush of wings as one decides
Morris. Text and photos to do a raiding run on the
used with permission.
food laid out below.
s a projectionist from One night a very optimistic
Athe early 1960s when kookaburra misjudged his
Perth had many outdoor cargo carrying ability by
cinema venues (but killed stealing half a cold chicken
off by dwindling patronage from a table. He forgot the
due to the start up of TV screen and in his hasty
transmissions), I had getaway he was unable to
identified a niche market clear the top, collided with
for a local hills outdoor it and left a greasy mark
cinema during 1992. about a metre down where
his booty hit the steel
The largest hurdle was that surface. Undeterred he
many councils were swooped again to retrieve
reluctant to even consider his plunder and this time
such a proposal due to the flew off under the screen
noise factor from film to enjoy his stolen meal in
soundtracks plus zoning the trees, leaving the picnic
problems as it was not a table group still wondering
"hard top" cinema and thus what had happened.
not adequately covered in
the council by laws. Had it not been for a great
Australian movie Shine,
One rather amusing The Kookaburra “Auditorium” which was screened in late January 1997, the
discussion arose over the insistence of a council Painting the screen face was also challenging, cinema would have closed after the first
officer that the cinema MUST have safety strip and done early in the morning as the reflection season wound up at Easter 1997. Until Shine
lighting in the “floor” installed. It had to be done from the white surface in full sun made it almost was screened, it was an uphill struggle to
as it was a “requirement” under the Local impossible to see where the paint roller was attract patrons and very few films screened
Government Act, but just how one would go going! covered costs. NO way to run a business!!
about installing said strip lighting in a grassed Within 12 weeks we were basically ready to go
area was entirely my problem. In the end and, after a couple of test runs to check out the It was decided that as the land was leased for
common sense prevailed and the strip lighting projection quality, the date was set. just one year, and that attendances were very
was deemed not necessary. poor, the Kookaburra would simply close at
However, there was still plenty to do with lawn Easter, the gear would be dismantled, the site
Perth has an ideal climate for outdoor movies
areas, general gardening, painting and tidying cleared and idea abandoned.
as the summers are generally long, hot and up. It has been a continual process of
mostly dry, so nights outdoors are well utilised improvements from the day construction Shine was booked just prior to the Golden
in a variety of ways by the local population. Globe Awards and when Geoffrey Rush won
commenced.
his Golden Globe for his portrayal of David
The search for a suitable site continued until Kookaburra opened to the public with the Helfgott in the film, interest picked up but
1995 when The Hills Forest Discovery Centre screening of Gallipoli on Saturday 4 January we were not prepared for the surge in patron
was discovered, equipped with a beautiful
1997. support when we arrived on the Friday night
rammed earth amphitheatre which seemed ideal for the first screening. There was a HUGE
for film. However, it was not possible to secure Prior to the public opening night on the queue of people patiently waiting to get in,
a continuous booking for a summer season at Saturday, the official opening night on Friday and we had to call in extra help to handle the
the amphitheatre and negotiations commenced 3 January 1997 was attended by invited guests crowds that night and subsequent nights as
for a natural bush site adjacent to The Hills which included the Director of Conservation we screened the film.
Forest to ultimately become a new outdoor and Land Management (CALM) – now the
cinema.

CINEMARECORD # 84 27