W I D E R SCREENINGS TM presents...
AUSTRALIAN CINEMA / DVD
THE COOBER PEDY DRIVE-IN
A journey deep within the Opal Capital of South Australia
Home of The Oldest Operating Drive-In Theatre in Australia
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DOWNTOWN COOBER PEDY TODAY
Multi-Cultural Australian Movie-Going in Microcosm
At its height, the Coober Pedy Drive-In screened four different double-features per week.
There weren't enough people to warrant a second screening of the same film until months or years later.
At an average of 8 different films per week, 52 weeks per year for at least 12 years, over 5000 movies were shown to a community of around 3000 people representing one of the most diverse multicultural groupings in Australia, with Europeans, Asians, Americans and indigenous Aboriginals all Australian (though most newer so than not) in a tiny, private boomtown deep in the South Australian outback, accessible initially only by dirt roads.
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An interview with a Coober Pedy original, former opal miner George Cettl
George, I understand that you came to Australia from Czechoslovakia following World War Two and in Australia to Coober Pedy when it was little more than a shed and store to service the other opal miners drawn to the area. When did you arrive in Coober Pedy?
I came to Coober Pedy in 1959 or 1960: I am now not so sure about the exact year. It happened so long ago and my memory is not what it used to be. The town population was then about 80 people. The only buildings above ground were two corrugated sheds - a general store and a jail house. The miners lived underground.
What happened to make the town as developed as it became by that point?
Due to discoveries of opal, in the next five years there was a population explosion.By 1965, the population had reached nearly 1500 people and the lack of any entertainment or other social activities was becoming a real problem. The opening of the Drive-In Theatre in 1965 changed all that.
How was the drive-in initially constructed?
At first the Progress and Miners Association tried to collect monies by voluntary contribution, but the amount collected was well short of what was needed. So what the Association did was to buy a new Holden ute for a raffle and sell enough tickets at 20 pounds each to build the Drive-In. Even then construction depended on voluntary work. The projection building was just another corrugated iron shed of two stories. The projector was situated on the second floor and the canteen, selling fish and chips, sweets and soft drinks was on the ground level. There was also a small, enclosed room for mothers and their babies, so they did not have to be outside in cold weather. The Drive-In was upgraded and individual car speakers and a larger screen installed in 1969.
Where in the town was it located and how did it operate?
The Drive-In was situated at the end of the main street, now proudly named Hutchinson Street but known before 1965 as Bolshevik Gully. It was fenced and usually opened at seven o'clock to give everybody time to spend with friends and learn of the latest opal finds before the movies screened. Such business talk was quite important, for many new fields were discovered at that time and many fortunes made. The drive-in screened eight different pictures per week and had one of the largest film turnovers in Australia. Besides being a place for social gathering, it provided jobs in the canteen for the wives of many miners, including my wife, Anne.
What was the initial reaction to the drive-in amongst the miners, their families and the indigenous aboriginal community there also? And what kind of social life did it have before the drive-in?
The impact of the Drive-In on Coober Pedy social life was enormous. Before that, the highlight of social intercourse was the once a week arrival (road conditions allowing of course) of the mail truck. Apart from that, the miners socialized in small groups, mostly in the opal fields in which they worked. But now they had the opportunity to meet other families and the opportunity to watch films and exchange news and gossip proved irresistible. Children, after being separated sometimes for weeks from other children, had a wonderful time.
What type(s) of movies were shown there?
The type of films screened varied from Westerns to comedies, dramas, war films and included some classic pictures like The Sand Pebbles,The White Buffalo and Orca: the Killer Whale. Other titles which come to my mind are: Stagecoach with John Wayne, Moby Dick, Broken Lance and Birdman of Alcatraz. As mentioned, at its height the Drive-In was a central part of Coober Pedy’s community. Today it seldom screens a film, reserving the treat for special occasions.
What happened in Coober Pedy history that led to the end of the drive-in’s heyday?
Due to Coober Pedy finally getting television in the early 1980s, the availability of VCRs and the establishment of new social clubs (the Italian Club for instance) the Drive-In was no longer profitable to sustain its screening schedule and closed in the early 1980s. It re-opened for limited screenings in 2002 and has been screening films on special occassions.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON COOBER PEDY:
COOBER PEDY: OPAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
