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500 Volkswagens converge on the drive-ins
A heavy haulage crane lifts the large second-hand sign into position, 1967.
for a special “VWs only” preview.
At extra cost to that paid for their on-screen
advertising, local businesses also advertised
in the Shandon Newsletter, which mainly
promoted up-coming movies, and was given
out free.
In 1971, the introduction of daylight saving in
Victoria saw a general downturn in drive-in
theatre attendance, especially following the
introduction of the VCR. Farmers were also
going through hard times. The late night out,
and the early start for milking cows, did not
go together well.
With modern cars more affordable, many
patrons would travel to Geelong (75 km
away) to see a new release film that would not
be screened in Colac for a few weeks.

In the early 1980s, to entice back lost
patronage, the admission price was reduced to
$10 a car load, but the boom days were now
long gone, and the drive-in would not return
to its former popularity.

drive-in could not do this, but Village (in their Ballarat Road Drive-in at Geelong, and the The Colac Drive-in struggled through 1984.
maverick style of the day) said to go for it. So, Colac Drive-in. Geelong would screen the Then, on Easter Saturday, 6 April 1985, the
on that Saturday night, this country drive-in feature first, then the manager, Geoff Heriot, last film screened. The theatre then closed for
with a 404 car capacity had 647 cars come would travel by car to Colac with the first what was stated as an “early winter” and
through the gate. Needless to say, there was three spools. Gerard and Geoff would pass on never reopened. Sometime after closure, a
no negative feedback from Fox. the highway as Gerard would travel to clearing sale was held, the speakers and poles
Geelong to collect the remaining spools. The selling for as little as $1 each. A variety of
With bigger features, in an endeavour to following morning, these would be sent back kitchen utensils/cafeteria equipment was also
secure an earlier release. Gerard recalls that to Geelong by rail. sold at the time.
the films would be switched between Village
The promotional The Colac Drive-in outlasted many other
The Volkswagen “Love Bug” promotion at the Colac Drive-in, 1970.
airplane that drive-ins. The income from the operation of
crashed adjacent a drive-in theatre was low compared to land
to the drive-in was values in outer areas of growing towns, and
being piloted by it was not long before houses stood on many
“Gelignite Jack” old drive-in theatre sites. Others were turned
Henderson, into Sunday Market/Swap Meet sites, many
(Maurice of which are still popular today.
Henderson’s son).
He got his name In recent years, several films have been
from throwing screened at Colac’s Sale Yards and
sticks of gelignite Showgrounds by local car enthusiast groups.
in Warrnambool These have all been a huge success, and more
on what he called will most certainly take place in the future.
“dull nights”.
Today, drive-in archaeologists have very
February 1970 little to find at the site of the old Colac
saw Walt Disney’s Drive-in, which is now an industrial estate.
new feature film,
The Tiger Moth plane, with promotional signage. It crashed heavily in 1962,
The Love Bug,
as a result of children playing on the runway beside the drive-in Easter 2015 marked 30 years since the
screen to large closure of the Colac Drive-in. «
drive-in theatre au-
diences around Credits:
Victoria. The film Parts of this article first appeared in the Colac &
featured Herbie, District Historical Society Newsletter June 2015.
the famous This edited version is reproduced with their per-
Volkswagen car. mission and that of the author.
So much was made Researched and written by Craig Pink.
of the event that Images from Bela Bard Brucker collection and the
drive-in theatres Colac and District Historical Society.
around Victoria, Advertisement from the Colac Herald.
such as the Clayton
Drive-in in outer Additional information provided by former
Melbourne, had Manager/Operator of the Colac Drive-in. Gerard
more than Garner.

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