The Coburg Drive-In, the last remaining drive-in cinema within an hour of Melbourne's central business district, continues to draw devoted crowds who value its unique, open-air experience. Located between a funeral parlour and a sink factory in Melbourne's north, the venue has outlived nearly all of its counterparts, with more than 300 drive-ins once operating across Australia.
A Night Under the Stars
Patrons arrive early to transform their cars into comfortable viewing spaces, tune their radios to the film's audio, and let children play on the bitumen or finish takeaway dinners. As darkness falls, hundreds of cars point toward the screen, creating a communal atmosphere that traditional cinemas cannot replicate.
Michael O'Neill, a car detailer from Echuca, makes a five-hour round trip to the drive-in each month. He has been coming for 20 years and describes the feeling of seeing the light-up sign as akin to coming home. Despite friends' jeers that it is a waste of time, O'Neill finds traditional cinemas lacklustre, citing "dark rooms, buzzing phones, and people talking." He wants to experience the drive-in while he can, saying, "We just don't know – it could continue. But if the end does come with the Coburg Drive-In, you can't say I didn't have a good run out of it."
A Safe Haven for Families
The drive-in demands little of its audience: visitors can lie down, walk around, talk, and sing without fear of being hushed. Parents feel comfortable bringing newborns, and dogs can curl up beside their owners. Sylvaine Moses has used the venue as a safe haven for decades, bringing her son Jamie, who lives with multiple disabilities. "This was the only place we could come as a family without feeling self-conscious about disturbing others," she says.
Te, a 29-year-old Coburg local, often arrives in her van with her dog Ellie. "It's a nice place for me when I'm having a bad mental health day, and I've brought friends when they're having a tough week," she explains.
Nostalgia and Changing Times
For many parents, the unchanged landscape inside the gates feels like a time capsule. Keziah Gillam was surprised when her 13-year-old daughter Callie asked to visit the drive-in with friends after seeing them in retro films and TV shows. Callie enjoys the experience: "It had this middle-of-nowhere feel, and it's kind of outdoors, but you're cosy in your car with blankets. It means we can cuddle up." Her friend Colin, a first-timer, added, "I thought I'll never get the opportunity to visit one."
Outside the gates, however, change is constant. Local historians note that patrons used to be told to lock their doors during escapes from the nearby Pentridge prison, which has since undergone a billion-dollar redevelopment into apartments and an entertainment precinct. The eight-hectare site the drive-in occupies was sold to an investor for $12.5m in 2018, with Village Cinemas leasing it back for 10 years.
Uncertain Future
Whether the site will operate as a drive-in beyond 2028 remains unclear. Andrew Howell, general manager of operations at Village Cinemas, said, "Having a drive-in in our portfolio of cinemas is important to us and we're committed to ensuring that experience continues." However, the company declined to confirm whether a decision had been made about the Coburg site's future after the current lease expires.
Staff at the drive-in wear jackets emblazoned with "The Last Picture Show" across the back. Many have worked together for years, and all are trained to jumpstart cars; on some winter nights, they have revived dead batteries in about 30 vehicles. Stephen, a staff member who asked to keep his surname private, has spent nearly three decades in cinemas and has witnessed marriage proposals and heartbreak. He went front-of-house when his projectionist job was eliminated in 2013, and now, in his late 60s, suspects this will be his last job before retirement.
O'Neill, who hopes the drive-in stays open for years, fears its closure would be a profound loss: "If it ever goes, a part of me will be gone forever, but I'll have to accept it. It would be like accepting the death of a loved one."
