Movie buff David Kilderry runs Australia’s biggest drive-in cinema complex at Dandenong, Victoria

MANY young Aussies agonise over what they might one day become but as a kid, David Kilderry could literally see his future from his bedroom window.

Dandenong open air cinema, Lunar Drive-In is hosting its 10th classic car show on February 1, with classic vehicles on display and Back to the Future playing. Owner David Kilderry with a red classic car.

MANY young Aussies agonise over what they might one day become but as a kid, Melbournian David Kilderry could literally see his future from his bedroom window.

“My parents built a second storey extension on our home in West Reservoir in the ‘70s,” he recalls.

“One of the new rooms was my bedroom, which looked out onto the Coburg drive-in screen. It was a little way away but I could see it and I fell in love with drive-ins then and there.”

By 12 David had a Super-8 projector and 16mm films; by 16 he was an assistant projectionist at Greater Union in the CBD and studied projection technology at RMIT.

“It was,” says David, “all I ever wanted to do.”

Today, with brother Matthew, a chef, David owns and runs the Australia’s biggest drive-in cinema complex — the four screen Lunar at Dandenong. It’s one of just 14 drive-ins left in Australia. “At one stage the country had 350 drive-ins,” says David, 49, who’d risen to hold senior technical roles for Hoyts and Greater Union.

When drive-ins – which boomed in the 50s, 60s and early ‘70s — started to die in the shade of multiplexes during the 1980s, David watched with dismay: “It’s part of our culture and I thought, ‘No this can’t disappear!’ ”

So in the early naughties David and Matthew sold their homes, their cars and another business to buy a mothballed, run-down former Village drive-in at Dandenong. “It needed a lot of work,” says David. “It didn’t have screens — we had to put hundreds and hundreds of thousands put into it just to get it open.” Which they did in 2002.

For the first five years the brothers wondered if they’d made a mistake but slowly the audiences built. Now they have plans to expand and put in a new cafe building. The secret to success? “Run the right films, do the right food and do it well because the price speaks for itself. For a mum and dad with three children to go to a multiplex it costs $90 for tickets alone. Here, you’re paying $30.”

In a world of smart TVs, touch phones and iPads, David feels he’s not only continuing an Australian institution – he’s bringing families and people closer together. “We’re an out of home experience, so we compete with restaurants, football, bowling alleys ...” says David. “As long as drive-in cinemas keep themselves relevant, modern and a great experience then there will be a place for them.”

There are plenty of unsung people who walk among us. Now CommBank – together with News Corp Australia – have partnered together in a program simply called Australian of the Day. The initiative is there to recognise those who fly under the radar but who do incredible things which inspire us all. Go to the australianoftheday.com.au website to read their amazing stories.