Coburg Village Drive-In holding a vintage car night.
Photo by
Supplied
For most people, drive-in movies are a distant memory. For Echuca Village’s Michael O’Neill, they still mean so much.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
He fell in love with drive-ins as a child in the 1970s and hasn’t stopped going since.
“As soon as I got my Ps I was driving to the Shepparton Twilight Drive-In,” he said.
For the past 25 years, Mr O’Neill has been travelling to drive-in cinemas in his 1964 EH Holden wagon, chasing the same experience that first drew him in decades ago.
“I’ve been going for 25 years now, always in the same car,” he said.
Michael O’Neill’s 1964 EH Holden wagon.
Photo by
Supplied
His journey began at the Shepparton Twilight Drive-In, where he was a regular from 2001 until its closure in 2005.
“I was devastated when it closed,” he said. “A lot of people were.”
The following year, he made the move to Coburg Village Drive-In, where he has been a regular ever since, often attending twice a month and catching double features.
Over the years, the routine has become something more than just watching films.
“It’s a warm night under the stars, a nice atmosphere, friendly people from all walks of life, it’s lovely to talk to people,” he said.
Mr O’Neill has seen countless films from the driver’s seat of his Holden, including every Star Wars release at a drive-in.
While he continues to make the trip, rising fuel costs have forced him to cut back in recent years.
The appeal of the drive-in has never faded for Michael O'Neill.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
“In the last 18 months or so, I’ve had to slow down a bit,” he said.
Friends have suggested he may hold an unofficial record for the number of drive-in visits over the past quarter-century, though Mr O’Neill takes it in stride.
“I’ve never counted, but I’ve been a lot,” he said. “It’s a very rare milestone to have.”
Looking ahead, he admits the future is uncertain, with the lease for Coburg Village Drive-In set to expire in 2028.
“I don’t know what the future will be,” he said.
“I’m just trying to make the most of it while it’s still there.”
For Mr O’Neill, the appeal of the drive-in has never faded, offering something modern cinemas cannot replicate.
15°C