Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/131975
outtahere opened in Canberra. Outdoor theatres were also established in NSW in Bathurst, Orange, Parkes and Wagga Wagga. Large, open rural spaces and the increase in car ownership secured the drive-in's peak popularity from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s, when it was an important Aussie social activity. "I recall fondly my nights at the drive-in as a child," remembers David. "We were loaded into the family Volkswagen wearing our pyjamas and fell asleep before the end of the double feature! I loved Disney films. My mother would bring cold chicken in tin foil and cordial in aluminium cups, but we weren't allowed to go near the snack bar!" Indeed, the tasty treats on offer – Chiko Rolls, traditional fried chicken, burgers and hot chips – completed the drive-in experience. Peter Wilkins was head projectionist at the Sturt Drive-in Theatre during its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s when it was the hub of excitement for Wagga Wagga residents. "Western night was always very popular and so were our comedy midnight shows when we screened Abbott and Costello, Jerry Lewis and Buster Keaton classics," Peter recalls. Aside from the laughs, there were some problematic aspects to working at a drive-in. "People used to drive off with the speakers still attached to their windows. We later connected the poles to wires, but this just ended up doing even more damage!" Peter laughs. By the 1980s the introduction of the VCR resulted in a drop in drive-in attendance. Teenagers rented movies to watch at home as a cheaper alternative, often seeing films long before they screened at the drive-ins. During this time the Village Panoramic in Dandenong closed its gates. And those gates remained shut until the Kilderry brothers, who were scouting around Australia for a suitable drive-in to buy or reopen, came along. "It had sat dormant without screens since 1984," explains Matthew Kilderry. "We came along and erected two massive steel screens and turned the old snack bar into the Lunar Cafe. We also constructed a brand-new projection block, laid asphalt and refreshed the entire site. Later we added another two screens." Thousands of cars turned up for the opening week of the revitalised Lunar Drive-in on September 19, 2002, when Austin Powers Goldmember, Lilo & Stitch and Stuart Little 2 screened. Previous page, and below: The increase in car ownership secured the drive-in's peak popularity from the mid-1950s to the late 1970s; the cafe at the revitalised Lunar Drive-in at Dandenong. Fast Fact 'Car horn hit' was a term used to measure a movie's popularity by the amount of car honking heard during the screening. 19