Shepparton’s Twilight Drive-in’s opening night in 1957. Photo: Michael Purden.
Hidden in History is a weekly column that unearths the quirky, curious and sometimes eyebrow-raising tales from Shepparton’s past. Provided by the Shepparton Heritage Centre, these articles are rooted in fact — but told with a wink and a sense of humour.
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Shepparton’s Twilight Drive-in in Kialla, oddly located on the noisy main arterial Goulburn Valley Hwy, made its debut in April 1957, was often challenged to squeeze in its capacity of 470 vehicles.
In its heyday, it was a boomer, with up to six ‘car hops’ working on Friday and Saturday nights, and cars would queue up for 400m along the highway laden with movie-goers hoping to get in.
Like most ‘picture paddocks’ in the country, it attracted first-timers with girlfriends or boyfriends, families vying for the up-front spots near the playground, and the cooler (and wilder) townsfolk — armed with drinks — holding the rearguard positions.
By June 2005, however, the show was over and this last of the country drive-ins went the way of its regional counterparts after a 48-year run, turning on a free screening of Robots.
The drive-in later assumed life as a Saturday morning trash-and-treasure market before its inevitable development in 2009.
The Shepparton Heritage Centre is always looking for volunteers. If you are interested, contact the centre on 4831 8659.
