1 month ago
9
Drive-in theatres were a favourite pastime in Western Australia for decades before big cinema chains won over audiences with plush seats and air-conditioning.
However, one outback council wants to revive the glory days.
Shire of Leonora chief executive Ty Matson.Credit: Shire of Leonora
The Shire of Leonora has secured $300,000 from the WA government to build a new permanent drive-in and seated outdoor theatre, which could be the first to be built in the state in decades.
The idea came about after Leonora townsfolk floated their interest during a master planning process. Like many regional WA towns, Leonora was home to a drive-in, but it was razed and returned to the bush in the 1980s.
Plans by Genesis Minerals to mine under the shire’s racecourse to the south-west of the town prompted a review of Leonora’s recreational offering, with the council endorsing a masterplan to move the entire racecourse to the east of the community.
Loading
The racecourse would become the heart of a new precinct, which would include the drive-in cinema as well as walking and mountain bike trails and possibly a golf driving range.
The idea has gained traction, with WA Labor committing $300,000 to the project ahead of the March election, which was included in the mid-year review.
Leonora chief executive Ty Matson is an enthusiastic backer of the project and said he had a personal connection to the theatre glory days after living in the coastal Pilbara mining town of Dampier as a kid, where his father managed the local drive-in.
“I think everyone does look back at the drive-ins fondly. I always remember sneaking in the back of the car under a blanket,” he said.
“It’s a bit sad they’ve gone by the wayside.”
WA has about four permanent drive-in theatres remaining: the Galaxy in Kingsley, the Mid West’s Dongara Denison Drive-in, the Pilbara’s Tom Price Drive-in and the Koorda Community Drive-in theatre in the Wheatbelt.
The Shire of Waroona is also hosting a drive-in movie at its showgrounds later in January. Several open-air cinemas still operate successfully across the state.
Matson said the hybrid car and open-air model worked well and was confident it would be a major draw for the community.
“They get people in there, not everyone has access to Netflix and the rest of it,” he said.
“It’s a good way of getting the community together.”
The Shire of Leonora’s drive-in cinema and recreation hub plan. Credit: Shire of Leonora
Genesis and Leonora recently struck a deal where the miner would provide the shire $1 million a year to be spent on upgrades to community infrastructure and the new recreation precinct – and drive-in cinema – will likely be the beneficiary of that.
Matson said planning was under way to determine the size of the cinema and the cost, but hoped work would begin soon.
Goldfields-Esperance Minister David Michael said the project would fit well in the planned community hub.
“The project will activate new opportunities for regional tourism, while also celebrating the rich history of Leonora, which first opened a satellite drive-in cinema in 1960,” he said.
“The Shire is currently working with the Goldfields Esperance Development Commission to confirm the scope of the project.”
Most Viewed in National
Loading
