Silver Screens Shattered Beloved Drive-In Theatre To Rebuild After January Cyclone

Home to Queensland’s oldest operating drive-in theatre, the Burdekin was one of the few Queensland communities where residents and visitors could still experience the magic of a movie under the stars at the drive-in.
That was before the destructive winds of Cyclone Kirrily struck, peeling off the sheeting of the screen at Ayr’s Stardust Drive-In Theatre.
The screen has now been completely removed and, with plans to rebuild, Owner Suzzi Jerkic hopes to preserve the experience of the drive-in for generations to come.
“It used to be the place to go,” Suzzi said.
“Many a night, you would come and get turned away because there were so many cars.”
Stardust Drive-In Theatre was built by Reg Hunt who opened it in September 1964.
The theatre changed hands throughout the years, from Birch Carroll and Coyle to the Stanleys to the O’Sheas.
Meanwhile, Frank Jerkic, originally of Mount Isa, was climbing the ranks at the theatre, starting as a groundsman in 1975 and progressing to a casual projectionist.
One fateful night, Suzzi went to the movies with a friend and was introduced to Frank.
The couple eventually married and went on to buy the theatre in 1989.
“I love movies; that’s why I came here that night, I just love movies and Frank loves movies too,” Suzzi said.
“He was already working here, and the O’Shea’s were going to close it down and we thought we’d give it a go.”
Nostalgia for a bygone era draws crowds from the Burdekin, Townsville and Bowen to experience a film under the stars.
Suzzi said blockbusters like ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Barbie’ have been popular hits, but “it’s not like it used to be”.
“It’s a social thing,” she said.
“With your family, your mates, teenagers, whatever group you’re with, it’s a party atmosphere in your own car or outside your car with your camping chairs.
“It’s under the stars, it’s outdoors, it’s amazing.”
Stardust Drive-In Theatre has weathered many a cyclone throughout the years, but none as devastating as 2024’s Cyclone Kirrily which struck the Burdekin on the evening of Thursday, January 25, 2024.
Suzzi and Frank were sitting in the theatre’s café, Silver Screens ‘n’ Coffee Beans, watching the cyclone roll through.
“It was starting to get into the evening, the wind was blowing and we were sitting there watching as a tree fell down first,” Suzzi said.
“Then the wind started to move around behind the screen, and we had two really big gusts.
“That first one just peeled off the screen, we watched it and heard it.”
The screen and supporting posts have now been completely taken down, with Suzzi hoping for insurance to cover a quick rebuild starting after the holidays.
It’s also led Suzzi to investigate where the log posts came from and who installed them, with a tip off leading her to the name Vern Miller.
“I can’t seem to find out what happened there, because we don’t have those sorts of trees here in the Burdekin,” she said.
While the 360-car capacity drive-in theatre remains out of action for the foreseeable future, Frank and Suzzi are still delighting audiences with movie showings at the neighbouring Galazy Cinema.
The café is still open for business as is the complex’s movie-themed mini golf course and secret fairy garden.
Suzzi hopes that audiences will flock back to the theatre when the drive-in is back up and running.
“I don’t know when, but I’m really looking forward to getting it going again,” she said.
“There aren’t a lot of drive-ins and it is different.
“You can go to a town and there’s a cinema there and you think, ‘We don’t need to go to the movies,’ but if there’s a drive in, it’s different and people make that point of staying overnight and experiencing the drive in.
“When we’re back, come on out; it’s the best thing to do on a weekend night.”

L-R Karen Doyle, Jorja Rainbow, Myla Flower and Suzzi Jerkic. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie
The screen at Stardust Drive-In Theatre was destroyed by destructive winds in Cyclone Kirrily. Photo supplied

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