Village Essendon Drive-In

Bulla Road and Melrose Drive,
Melbourne, VIC 3043

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Village Theatres

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Village Essendon Drive-In  Bulla Road and Melrose Drive, Melbourne, VIC  - Opening night, March 14, 1956

After opening of the Village Croydon on 14th January 1955 with Audrey Hepburn in “Roman Holiday”, Roc Kirby rapidly expanded Village Drive-In Theatres with the circuit opening in the Melbourne suburbs of Rowville on 12th July 1956, and then across town with the Village Drive-In Essendon, which opened on 14th March 1956 with a 600-car capacity. The debut programme at Essendon was “The Bridges at Toko-Ri” starring William Holden, with all proceeds going to the 3DB Sporting Globe(Good Friday) Children’s Hospital Appeal. There were two session per night at 7:45pm & 9:55pm. The drive-in flourished in the early years until the advent of video tape in the late-1970’s. The Village Drive-In Essendon closed on 26th September 1984 and was ultimately demolished. The area now features housing estates, with streets names Forum, Paramount and the like.

Contributed by Greg Lynch

Recent comments (view all 3 comments)

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on June 8, 2018 at 1:47 pm

Closed on 26/9/1984.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on May 1, 2021 at 11:42 pm

This might be the drive-in theatre in seen during a car chase in the movie “Alvin rides again”.

kennerado
kennerado on May 2, 2021 at 2:44 am

no, that was actually the Frankston drive-in.

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