Randwick, New South Wales, Australia: Mr. Rosenberg Popularizing the Drive-In Movie One City at a Time

Randwick is poised to become ground zero in a movement to re-establish drive-in cinemas across the country.

Maroubra's Paul Rosenberg's love of the drive-in experience led to his vision to restore this almost extinct past-time, (there is only one left in Sydney at Blacktown), to its former glory.

He approached the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) in 2007 to use the Randwick racecourse car park but his idea was put on the backburner because of World Youth Day.

Now, with his application with Randwick Council, Mr Rosenberg is ready to begin his campaign to re-popularise the drive-in experience.

I grew up in Maroubra, so I grew up with the Matraville drive-in, which I used to love, he said. The atmosphere was great, we used to pay just 40 cents to see the films but we still used to hide people in the boot to get in for free. But that closed in 1980 and now we have a situation where people, like my children who are 22 and 25, have never been to a drive-in.

He also wants to revive the drive-in at other AJC locations, including Warwick Farm and Rosehill.

And his plan for drive-ins at largely disused race course car parks could be a winner with the success of outdoor cinemas in Sydney and the revival of drive-in theatres in the US.

It's great family entertainment, which I think the Eastern Suburbs is lacking, and the fact that we haven't had a drive-in in 20 years, it's a definite winner, he said.

Are you a fan of the drive-in? Tell us at southerncourier.com.au.

Mr Rosenberg said he expected the first screenings would be on May 1, with four sessions from Friday through to Sunday until the end of July.

The screen will be an all-weather, wind braced, air-inflatable structure and the film sound track will be broadcast through each vehicles FM car radio.

Each session will accommodate around 500 cars at $44 a car, with prime, screen front positions including valet food service costing $60 a car.

Nick Moncrieff-Hill

source-http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/a-journey-of-nostalgia/