# Dromana 3 Drive-In

Dromana 3 Drive-In (also known as Dromana Drive-In) is a heritage-listed and independently owned drive-in theatre in the Melbourne suburb of Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula. It is the oldest continuously operating drive-in in Australia.

## History

The theatre first opened under the name Peninsula Drive-In in 1962, with original owner Frank Whitaker having been involved in the cinema industry since the 1930s. Drive-in culture in Australia peaked in the following decades, up until the home video era which saw many theatres close in the 1980s. Paul Whitaker, son of Frank, took over management in 1989.
In 1984, the Peninsula Drive-in became the first in the world to offer true stereo sound via an FM radio signal. Though a similar service was being offered in some drive-ins through CINE-FI, it was either on the AM band with lower sound quality and only in mono, or in FM but in an artificially mixed "stereo."
A second screen was added in 1992 after being disassembled and transported over from the former Hoyts Altona drive-in after it closed. A third screen followed in 2001. A fourth screen was later added, but it is a more traditional outdoor cinema setup with deck chairs and not a drive-in like the others.
Several concerts were held at the Dromana Drive-In during the 1980s and 1990s, most notably a festival on New Year's Eve 1994 featuring Silverchair, TISM, The Meanies and an early-morning screening of Pink Floyd The Wall. The aftermath on the morning of New Year's Day 1995 was described by police as "resembling a war zone", as roughly 200 people had decided to sleep off their hangovers on the premises.
The theatre was heritage listed by the National Trust of Australia in 2010. The Trust noted that the site was significant as one of three (now two) Melbourne drive-ins that had survived out of roughly sixty at the height of their popularity. They also stated:
   The Dromana Drive-in is of historical significance as a reflection of the mid-twentieth century rise of the influence of the car on Victorian society and culture... Inspired by American cultural trends, drive-ins functioned like mobile extensions of the family living room, and were consistent with a trend in personal behaviour to be less formal and inhibited in public spaces.
In 2013, a large model of an X-wing fighter from the Star Wars films was added to the roof of the entrance ticket booths. This has since become the theatre's signature landmark.
In 2020 and 2021, the Dromana Drive-In was one of the few cinemas allowed to remain open during various stages of Melbourne's COVID-19 lockdowns in which all regular cinemas were closed. The owners have since expanded the business model beyond just screening films, and now allow community bookings including school graduation ceremonies, local plays and church group sessions. After a period of mandated closure during 2021, they reopened with a live screening of a St. Kilda Saints vs Hawthorn Hawks football match.
Dromana Drive-In is the longest continuously operating drive-in in Australia, having never closed since opening in 1962. It remains one of two surviving theatres of its kind in Melbourne, along with the Coburg Drive-In.

## Layout

The theatre features a 1950s-style diner named Shel's Diner after its operator Shelly Whitaker, and as a homage to Mel's Drive-In in the United States.