Southern region activities
REPORT BY MEETING CONVENOR AND PRESIDENT OF
THE LOCAL INTERIM COMMITTEE, ANDRE SWITZER.
embers living in the Southern region attended their
first organised event at the Lunar Drive-in on 30
November 2011. Our host was David Kilderry, co-owner of
the drive-in. He was
very informative and
gave us an hour of his
time to explain the
operations of the
drive-in including
everything from the
screen to the
projection room. We
were invited to stay to
watch a feature movie
and have something
to eat from the cafe.
Andre (left) presents David with a certificate of appreciation
State Library display
aintaining a profile on the local cultural scene is
important when seeking grant funding and cooperation
with mainstream entities. AMMPT displays in community
museums, local government libraries and similar venues who
are always looking for interesting themes provides an avenue
to showcase our activities and recruit new members.
M
An exhibition
depicting the
history of the
local media was
launched in
October in the
State Alexander
Library in the
Perth Cultural
Centre.
AMMPT
Western
region was
asked to
provide
items from
our
collection depicting how the moving image was used for
home entertainment and for the gathering of news for
showing on television and in the cinema in recent decades.
Old 35mm toy
projectors from
1926 to the
more modern
home video
camera were on
display.
A
brief A brief description of the beginnings and its current
operations can be found on thee drive-in website:
http://www.lunardrive-in.com.au/about-us/
, printed below;
“The Lunar Dandenong opened on May 4, 1956 as the
Dandenong Panoramic Drive-in Theatre with a single
wooden screen and spaces for 650 cars. The drive-in was
closed in 1984. After years of careful planning, the Lunar
Drive-in team re-built and re-opened the drive-in on
September 19, 2002. Two new massive steel screens were
erected (and later were joined by screens three and four).
The old snack bar was rebuilt as the Lunar Cafe, a brand new
projection block was constructed and the entire site
refreshed. The largest screens around deliver bright and
sharp images, crisp
Dolby Stereo SR
soundtracks are
delivered to your car
from our FM
transmitters. Our
Dolby Stereo
soundtracks are
broadcast via your
car’s FM stereo, you
can control the
volume and settings to suit yourself. Our massive xenon arc
lamps and Phillips TODD-AO projectors deliver some of the
brightest and sharpest images of any large screens in the
country”.
AMMPT has enjoyed a
close working
relationship with the
State Library since we
successfully tendered to
take over its extensive
16mm film collection.
The newer regional branches are
urged
to forge such
relationships with established entities in their region and to
be seen to be attempting to learn and adopt the disciplines
and procedures necessary for a successful museum.
Do you know where ……
Above and right:
Members inspect
the screen steel
support structure
and the multi
screen bio- box.
e can obtain a 9.5mm film viewer? AMMPT Western
region is trying to get the donation or loan of a
serviceable 9.5mm viewer to look at a large amount of film
recently donated to our collection which may contain
material of local or national significance. Some of this was
sent from Adelaide, and unfortunately we do not have a
strong membership base or branch in that region to
undertake the task. Please make contact with WR Film
Librarian Keith Rutherford if you think you can help.
Contact Keith on 08 9446 1627 or
krut@bigpond.net.au
Left: Group shot
in front of one of
the screens.
Also if you have any instruction or service manuals on early
home movie equipment, our Technical Archivist Trevor
Kelly would like to obtain them or copies thereof. Trevor
can be contacted on 08 9339 4178 or
alphatec@wt.com.au
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