Randwick Racecourse Drive-In

Sydney's last new drive-in theatre was the Parklea Skyline, which opened in 1977 (and closed in 1985, now the site of Parklea Markets). Blacktown is the only drive-in left.

Now Sydney is getting another new one, at Randwick Racecourse. It looks like a temporary one though, much like those summertime outdoor movie setups.

http://www.racecoursedrivein.com.au/index.html

I'd love to go and try it but there are several problems:

* They don't charge per person, they charge by car. $49 per vehicle. With two people that's $24.50 each. Two kids in the back and it's still $12.25 each. You can take up to five people per car but who wants to watch a movie from the back seat?

* You have to pre-book, register on line and pay

* According to their pricing pace, 'Combi Vans' are not allowed.

* Most of the films they are going to show are general release ones anyway. Surely a niche 'festival' drive-in should be showing classic cult movies instead? No car movies for example. Their website has artwork of scenes from Casablanca and Star Wars, but those movies aren't on the list.

* I wonder if the grounds have been landscaped into ramps to point at the screen, or if it's just a flat carpark?

Anyone planning on going to this one?

Sounds a bit disappointing!

I love the old fashion drive-through. Really makes going to the movies good fun!

Hopefully they'll sort some of these issues out asap and make it much better for all!

why bother Phil ,we still have Blacktown and its the old school way .

Agreed, the old drive-ins are still the best. The one at Heddon Greta is fantastic. I've written letters to Blacktown a number of times, asking for car films for club runs but I never get a reply. Went there last for 'Love the Beast', Eric Bana's film. Lots of Fords there that rainly night, and we had six VWs. Bass Hill was my local growing up (as well as Chullora) and I went there as recently as 2007, the year it closed. It's a pity that 13 of the 14 that once existed in Sydney are gone forever, with almost no evidence that they were ever there.

* The ground layout, ramps and light poles of Penrith drive-in still exists. You drive through it on the way into UWS at Kingswood (map 184 H1 on UBD)
* There is a 'Skyline' Business Park and a Skyline Place at Frenchs Forest, on the site of the old drive-in

The rest are pretty much unrecogniseable, although sometimes you can make out the shape of the drive-in from the air (Google Earth) if you know where to look.

This is a famous photo taken at the mighty Chullora Metro Twin drive-in, once the biggest in Australia. It was owned by MGM (not Greater Union) so they got all the first release Disney movies. In November 1969, prior to the Love Bug being released at the MGM St James theatre in the city, MGM put on a special pre-release show at Chullora drive in. It was sponsored by VW Australia and VW owners could get in for free. The south field held 340 cars then. The site is now the Chullora Marketplace shopping centre, with the Malek Fahd Islamic School also built on part of the old drive-in land.

The one at Heddon Greta is fantastic
Ah yes Phil74Camper Heddon Greta, where if you don't like the movie you can slash the seats. 🙄

Hopefully the doof doof morons in their WRXs and Hondas will do just that...

The only thing missing at Heddon Greta is a kids playground under the screen, with swings, see saws, slippery dips and roundabouts lit up with fairy lights. So the kids could play on them in their pyjamas. Like we used to do in the old days! Randwick won't have anything like that. Blacktown lost their kids' play area in 1984 when the lot was converted to twin-screen.

I might take my daughter to the Randwick Drive-In to see Strictly Ballroom on Sunday 26 September - it's school holidays then. But I'll have to take the Golf, since Kombis aren't allowed.