Coober Pedy Drive-in Theatre, where Hollywood stars shine under Outback desert skies

NO one lets off explosives at the Coober Pedy Drive-in these days, but it’s still a unique big-screen adventure deep in the Australian desert.

NO one lets off explosives at the Coober Pedy Drive-in these days, but it’s still a fun night out.

In South Australia’s once-wilder northwest, where opal miners of the past would drive utes equal-parts loaded with beer and gelignite, a bad movie could really bomb.

So theatre management banned the gelignite — and so far, so good.

About 850km from Adelaide, the silver screen that’s been smack in the desert centre of SA since 1965 has not been blown up.

Only in the outback … the unique notice traditionally flashed to patrons at the drive-in theatre in the mining town Coober Pedy. Random explosions are no longer common, but the slide is being digitised to return as a piece of permanent history. Picture: Coober Pedy Drive-in Theatre

The drive-in was a community hub until closing in the 1980s, when television finally took over even the remotest parts of Australia. It’s been back in action since a group of volunteers took over its operation at the turn of this century.

The window speakers could tell a story or two about the old days, but they can no longer speak, having long been superseded by FM radio. Enormous projectors now gathering dust, however, were much harder to replace when the last film movies moved to digital memory sticks about five years ago.

Once again, it looked like THE END, but there’s a sequel, and it’s becoming an international cult hit.

“We get visitors from all over the world,” said volunteer projectionist Matthew Key, 32, a media studies teacher at the local area school.

Matthew Key, the volunteer projectionist at the Coober Pedy drive-in theatre in outback South Australia, in the old projection booth with vintage equipment made redundant by digital technology. Picture: Bernard Humphreys

He moved to the town of about 1700 people with wife Kim, 31, from the Adelaide Hills five years ago and joined the community committee that led a campaign to raise more than $100,000 for a full digital upgrade of the drive-in.

“It’s starting to become more popular with tourists because the word’s getting out, but we do run first and foremost for the community,” Mr Key said.

“There’s not a whole lot around for people to do on a regular basis, particularly something that’s a bit fun and different.”

Elsie, 3, at the Coober Pedy drive-in theatre in Outback South Australia. Picture: Bernard Humphreys

The committee is gradually working towards other renovations, but the project is unlikely to be a blockbuster, Mr Key says.

“We need to be careful, because it is a volunteer group.”

In a town-and-desert community estimated to be roughly half indigenous, the drive-in last week celebrated Reconciliation Week with a series of indigenous short films, including a hip-hop music video made by students from the Coober Pedy Area School. This Saturday it will feature Gurrumul, the life story of musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu.

The full winter movie line-up can be seen at http://www.cooberpedydrivein.org.au/