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By Craig Pink

n July 1959, the Colac Shire Council was The Colac engineering firm of
Ifaced with the difficult task of deciding Gordon Chapman had won the
which, if any, of several drive-in theatre contract for the supply and erection
construction proposals were suited to Colac’s of the screen, which measured
outer boundary areas. At the outer western 66 feet from ground to top, with an
extremities, a motel and drive-in theatre actual screen size of 45 feet by
complex was proposed for the Hurlingham 88 feet. The actual screen was
corner, or perhaps the proposed site of a 22 gauge Zincaneal sheets affixed to
drive-in theatre at Elliminyt was better suited. oregon beams, which were bolted to
the tubular steel framework.
The Colac enterprise which planned the
theatre at Elliminyt had selected a very Several firsts were said to have been
picturesque position looking out over the achieved at the time; the massive
town. The lower slopes of the Elliminyt Hill 12 ton screen was assembled on the
were to be terraced to take cars; lawns and ground, then lifted into position in
gardens would be laid down, along with a one piece. This was stated to have
children’s playground area. A large sum of never been done in Victoria before,
money had been raised by a group of Colac and probably Australia. Also
business people for the venture, their proposed claimed to be a record was the time
drive-in at Elliminyt planned to cater for up to of just five weeks from order of the
450 cars, but with provision for further screen to completion (also claimed
expansion on the 28 acre site. by Gordon Chapman).
The Shire President (Cr. H.L. Martin) opened leading to his dismissal in early 1966. At that
Colac’s Shandon Drive-in Theatre in perfect time, Warrnambool resident Gerard Garner,
weather on the night of Wednesday was half way through two years of National
22 November 1961. Universal Pictures Service. He was asked if he would take over
presented Tammy starring Debbie Reynolds, as manager of the Colac drive-in when his
free of charge on the opening night, with conscription ended in June 1967. In the interim
proceeds of over £100 going to aid the 12 months, the head car-hop (Syd Habour) and
Community Chest Fund. the projectionist (the late Tony Lorrico) baby-
sat the site until Gerard started on 4 July 1967.
In the days following the opening, shell grit He remained at the drive-in, living on the site
was spread, playground equipment installed until 1 October 1974, when another Village
and trees planted, which completed the circuit projectionist, Arthur Davie, took over
beautification process of the drive-in site. as Manager/Projectionist. With six shows each
week, crowds of up to 1,000 people were not
The new drive-in was owned and operated by uncommon on sellout nights.
the late Maurice (M.G.) Henderson and family,
which already had five Adelaide suburban During the colder months, fog was quite
drive-in theatres, and a few regional drive-ins, common. If the picture could not make it to the
including the Warrnambool Shandon Drive- screen, fog passes were given out. Once the
in. fog came down, it would rarely, if ever
disappear. The fog passes could be used
New Year's Eve 1961, just weeks after the locally, or at any Village Drive-in Theatre.
opening night, saw especially good patronage.
High quality films were to be screened, along All-night shows were popular over the years, Gerard Garner believes that the Colac Drive-
with films especially made for children’s lasting well into the late 1970s. in was the first to have feature-support-feature
entertainment. One of many up-to-date programming. This was first tried on the
features was to be an indoor “theatrette” to The venue traded as the Shandon Drive-in Saturday night of The Poseidon Adventure. He
cater for those without cars, and for winter until around 1965/66, when Henderson sold recalls that 20 Century Fox said that the
th
viewing. his interest in the Warrnambool Shandon
Drive-in to the local shareholders and Below: Workmen installing the foundations for
With initial financial support for a drive-in directors. At the same time, he sold the Colac the massive screen, 1961.
theatre to be situated in the Elliminyt area in site to Harold Stevenson and Stan Stevens and
1959, the public started to get used to the idea their wives, Pat and Norma, who changed the
of Colac having a drive-in sooner than most name to the Colac Drive-in. At the time,
anticipated. Village was pleased for the opportunity to buy
into the Warrnambool site, as it increased their
Even dating back to the mid-1959 proposals, buying power, not just with films but with cafe
the location was always to be on the outer supplies, wrappings, etc. Hence, the new
perimeter of Colac’s built up area, which Warrnambool directors entered into a "buying
meant Colac Shire Councillors were left with and booking" arrangement with Village.
the end decision as to where the drive-in Harold Stevenson and Stan Stevens entered
theatre would be situated. The eventual into a similar arrangement for Colac.
decision was that it would be located at
Colac’s outer western end, with frontage to Initially, they were having some problems with
Rossmoyne Road. the Manager/Operator of the Colac Drive-in,

26 CINEMARECORD # 90