Skyline Drive-In

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Taken on: January 1, 2020

Uploaded on: March 15, 2022

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Wodonga Skyline Drive-in. Opened 1956, closed 1984. South-west corner of Melrose Drive and Melbourne Road. Hence the name Roadshow Drive.

Photo - Wodonga Council

The Cumberland Argus, 28 Nov 1956 had the following report: A drive-in theatre at Wodonga (Hume Highway), has a supporting structure of round poles for its gigantic screen. The screen is of hard-board on a timber frame, and is roughly 84 feet wide by do feet high. It is supported by six poles rising 65 feet clear of the ground, and braced by six shorter buttress poles. The poles, of a durable species, came from the north coast of N.S.W.

The architects gave the following reasons for choosing the poles: —

(a) The poles give a ‘cleaner’ structure than a braced steel frame.

(b) The cost of the structure was about 15 per cent, less than that of a steel frame.

© Poles were available at a nearby depot at the time. The tops of the poles and exposed timber of the screen have been painted dark brown, while the bases of the poles have been painted white to emphasise their position in the restaurant built beneath the screen. This building is mainly lined and covered with vertical cypress pine boards, dressed and clear finished.

Round messmate stringy bark poles have been, used by the architect for the screen at another drive-in theatre at Ballarat, Victoria, for the same owners. - Notes by The Wodonga Historical Society.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -