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CROSSROADS DRIVE-IN THEATRE, MILDURA

by Gerry Kennedy

he Sunraysia region of Australia borders
Tthe Murray River at the north-west corner
of Victoria, and the south-west corner of New
South Wales, some 500 km north-west of
Melbourne. At the centre of the district lies the
city of Mildura (pop. 53,000), a major
agricultural centre noted for its grape and
citrus production. Its name is taken from the
Mildura homestead, an early sheep station
which covered most of the area.

Some 16 km to the south of Mildura on the
Calder Highway is the town of Red Cliffs
(pop. 4600). Red Cliffs takes its name from
the 70 metre high, red/orange coloured cliffs
4.5 km east of the town.
The township of Merbein (pop. 2500) is
located 7 km west of Mildura, just off the
Sturt Highway. The area was known as White
Cliffs until 1909 when the township was
established. The town's name was intended to
be "Merebin", which is the Aboriginal word Aerial photo showing the Cross Roads Drive-in (centre right) an the 16th Street Drive-in (top left).
for "white sandcliffs", but an error made when
registering the name corrupted it to "Merbein". Howard Williamson was overall Manager for Ken was an electrical contractor, and had been
area. Roy Hare was manager/projectionist of part time projectionist for Bert Harris and also
the Astor. Red Cliffs was home to the Roxy, for the Nulty brothers at the Rex Theatre in
Hoyts Cinemas where Rex Bartel was the projectionist. At the Charlton. He was asked by Len Nulty if he
Until 1963, Hoyts Theatres controlled all Merbein Shire Hall, Howard Eden was the would come to Mildura as projectionist. Bert
cinema and drive-in business in Mildura, Red manager/projectionist. Harris had many years in the theatre industry,
Cliffs and Merbein. In Mildura, the two having commenced with Hoyts in Melbourne,
cinemas were the Ozone and the Astor. The Crossroads Drive-in and was one of the projectionists at Hoyts
Ozone was the principal theatre and office. In 1962, the South Mildura Development Regent in Collins Street when it first opened.
Company (SMDC) was formed by the
Andriske and Heley families, and the Nulty The initial equipment at the Crossroads
brothers. Land was purchased at the corner of Drive-in consisted of a pair of C&W
Deakin Avenue and Fifteenth Street (the projectors (model G) with carbon arc lamps
crossroads of the Calder and Sturt Highways), and a four-amplifier RCA sound system. Later,
and the Crossroads Drive-in theatre was built, the C&Ws were replaced with Cinemeccanica
opening on 14 October 1963 with a 425 car projectors using xenon lamps. The C&W
capacity. Len Nulty was projectors had been due for service, and were
manager/projectionist, but did not have a packed off to Newcastle for maintenance.
projectionist licence. Ken Curnow, the son in However, the crated projectors were stolen
law of Bert Harris from the township of Donald from the freight company, never to be seen
in the mid-west of Victoria, had picture shows again. The company was told they were taken
Above: The Ozone auditorium and proscenium. at Donald and Wedderburn. When by one of the workers and, being of no use to
Wedderburn closed, he moved his equipment him, were dumped in Sydney Harbour.
to Quambatook.

The large screen at the Crossroads

Above: The Astor façade. C. 1964.
Below: The auditorium, Red Cliffs’ Roxy.

30 CINEMARECORD # 94