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In March 1988, the Shepparton
News announced that the drive-in had
been sold at auction for $1.25m to Mr.
N. Taig, and it was believed that the
property would soon go up for tender.
For the next three years it was leased to
Benalla identity Hoot Gibson. The drive-
in then closed for a short spell in 1991.
It was reopened by local
projectionists Noel Eva and Reg Leahy
who ran it for about twelve months,
before it closed again for three years. In
this time the one constant was the
Sunday Trash and Treasure market, with
the cafeteria leased by a local couple.
In February 1995 a community
radio station then reopened the drive-in
after a quick coat of paint for the ticket
box, and projection room buildings.
Staffed by volunteers, the proceeds
went to support One FM Community
Radio Shepparton. The feature was
Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Another
sound change came during this time, an
FM transmitter on frequency 99.00 FM.
Three years later things began to die
down for the radio station, as it became
difficult to find volunteers to keep the
drive-in running. Steve Mcdonnell who
had been doing announcing work at the
radio station was running the movies by
himself at this time. The Shepparton
Drive-in then had an official closing on
7 June 1998, with the press present and
a large audience to see the 20th
Century Fox double, Romeo and Juliet Top: A promotion of the mid 1970s. Above: Bob Heath (left) and Jack Tuckett, two of
and Titanic. The drive-in was sold once the original car hops, celebrate 20 years on the job in May 1977. Photos by the author.
again, to Mr. Peter Copulos, who is a
local orchardist, motel operator and
property developer in Shepparton.
Steve McDonnell then
recommenced showing movies, but the
past twelve months have been lean, and
so a Final Closing took place on
Sunday 12 June 2005. Such was the
public attachment to this drive-in that
more than 200 cars and the press again
turned out to savour the experience for
one last time with a screening of
Robots. It has been a long goodbye.
On paper the
Shepparton Drive-in
site has been subdivided
into four industrial
blocks, and has been for
some time. There has
been no announcement
Left and above: Last images on
as to whether any blocks the last day of the last night (by
have been sold. ★
Brett Enright).

CINEMARECORD 2005 17