I believe that there is only one drive-in left in Sydney.
That one is located at Blacktown.

Back when I was a young lad and the TV took thirty seconds to come on, in glorious black, and white, the Sunday night movie was supposedly “The Movie of the Week”. At least one had a choice of the movie on Ch-0, Ch-2, Ch-7, or Ch-9.

If you wanted to see something new, you had to go to a cinema, or to a drive-in.

Memories of my times of drive-ins was recently stirred by finding a listing of Melbourne drive-ins.
My list shows twenty-one. I'm not sure of the date this list was created, all I know that the Street Directory had dollars and cents in its advertisements.

I made sure that my children got to experience the drive-in before the last one becomes extinct.

How many drive-ins are still operating in Australia?

I remember the one in Tamworth where I grew up. My father would take us to the dirty harry movies and also the trinity movies with Terrence hill and bud spencer . they were the days . Now it's just a housing estate and last remnants of the cafeteria is just fenced off and abandoned.

I remember the drive-in at Chullora, and vaguely another one somewhere else in Sydney.

But all that was so long ago that I've forgotten the details.

The very first drive-in in Australia was in Frenchs Forest.

The Blacktown drive-in featured in the 60s episode of Back in time for Dinner. You can still catch it on IView.

Skyline Drive Ins at Frenchs Forest and Warriewood. Metro Twin at Chullora.

Yes, the Blacktown Drive In is still operating. A few years back the owner gave the restaurant a makeover. I was last there just before he closed for those renovations.

I have on DVD a great American doco on the subject, and I see someone has uploaded it to YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfnTStV-gcQ

There was a Skyline in Bass Hill and in North Ryde.

There is still one at Yatala between the Gold Coast and Brisbane:

https://www.flicks.com.au/cinema/yatala-drive-in-theatre/

Cheers, Stuart

Melbourne still has three operating. The Coburg Drive In at Coburg, the Lunar Drive In at Dandenong and the Dromana Drive In on the Mornington Peninsula. All three drive ins have had to add additional screens to remain viable. Last time I was in Adelaide the Wallis Mainline Drive In was still operating and just down the road from where I was staying at Glenelg. I went and saw Avatar there. I remember reading that the Cooper Pedy Drive In is operating and is run by a non profit community group.

Gepps Cross Drive In, Wallis Mainline in Adelaide is the only one here, they also have huge Sunday markets and other events to suppliment income.
Recently a Auto Teller machine caught fire and burnt the Cafeteria to the ground but has
been rebuilt and still going

Auto Teller machine caught fire and burnt the Cafeteria to the ground

First I've heard of an ATM self-immolating. Plenty of crooks try to blow them up.

In WA there are 4 drive ins still operating.
One in Perth at Kingsley (north of city) called the Galaxy & still running OK.

Another out at Koorda in the NE wheatbelt about 240kms NE of Perth. Owned by the Shire Council & run by volunteers having recently converted from film to digital & doing quite well as no other movie venues withing cooee of the town. Screens monthly.

Another at Dongara just south of Geraldton also owned by Shire Council & run by volunteers which screens more regularly over summer as the town fills with holiday makers. It is digital as well as no 35mm film supplies other than older stuff held by NFSA & similar archival groups.

The fourth one is at Kununarra which is a mix of drive in and sit in type of arrangement more suited to the Kimberly climate.

I used to train 35mm vollie projectionists & service the gear at Koorda & nearby Mukinbudin but that all ceased as film ended & Mukinbudin closed but Koorda converted & I used to do some first in maintenance on the digital gear but ceased recently.

I will dig out some photos I have of both the above drive ins and the gear used with some dating back to the early 1930's when it was made & all was still fully operational when pulled out for digital conversion. I doubt that any cinema now will ever get that sort of life span from the digital gear.
Lindsay

LED screens would give outdoor cinema new life and would even work under daylight conditions in summer evenings!