Reels cease to turn for the final time

Busselton Drive-in has screened its last films and shut the gates after more than half a century of entertaining the town.

Co-owner Ron Jones, son of original owner Allan Jones, said it was time to move on and even with upgrades, he could not predict an increase in patronage.

The final two films shown on Sunday were ParaNorman and The Bourne Ultimatum, and Mr Jones said he had visitors who shared fond memories of when they had visited the drive-in in the past.

"Some people have said that they had been to the drive-in when they were children and they said how much they'd really enjoyed it," he said.

"Now they had been bringing their grandchildren just to experience what the drive-in was like."

Allan opened the complex in 1960 and Mr Jones said there were mixed emotions when it came to closing the gates.

"I'm sad, of course, that it's closing, but there also comes a time in your life when you have to move on - you can't just stick with the same thing, and that applies to everybody," he said.

As the movie industry shifted to digital media, Mr Jones said the drive-in was left behind with 35mm film projectors.

"We could afford to buy the digital projector, but it'd be like putting it in a shed," he said.

"The whole building needs upgrading, so where do you stop?"

Mr Jones has applied to the City of Busselton to have the land re-zoned as R40 for residential/retirement uses. The land currently has its own zoning: "drive-in".

As for the multiple 35mm projectors collected over the years, Mr Jones said he planned to donate them to various museums in the region to preserve this slice of WA film history.

Some projectors, however, will stay with Mr Jones as family heirlooms.