The cinema’s screen was built in the mid 1990s. Picture: Andrew Williams

Kookaburra Cinema future uncertain after storm

The central support of the Kookaburra Cinema's screen was snapped by a falling tree, which resulted in the screen bulging forward in the centre.
January 25, 2024
Andrew Williams

THE Kookaburra Outdoor Cinema’s season may end four months early due to severe damage it sustained in last week’s storm.

Surrounded by bushland, the cinema, located near Mundaring Weir on Allen Road was mostly damaged by falling trees and debris.

The central support of the screen was snapped by one of the trees which resulted in the screen bulging forward in the centre.

One of the property’s biggest trees, the canopy of which made up for most of the shade for the outdoor cinema split and fell onto the patio seating area.

Several other fallen trees around the property tore down the perimeter fencing and covered half of the carpark in the debris.

Hanging lights strung up amongst the trees were also downed and will need to be assessed by an electrician.

Owner Peter Foyster said reopening the cinema for the rest of the season depends on how damaged the screen is.

A building supervisor had come out for an initial inspection but due to safety issues around exposed electricity, as well as the danger still posed by

the damaged tree, they could not confirm the severity of the screen’s damage.

Mr Foyster said he will know more about the future of the cinema next week after the required tradespeople assess and begin the clean-up process.

“I’m working about a week ahead until I know what the outcome is going to be. I issued refunds for last weekend and cancelled and issued refunds for this weekend too.

“A steel worker will need to assess the structural integrity of the screen. He (the building supervisor) did say if they decided the screen couldn’t be repaired then that would be the end of the season, and it would be very expensive to replace the screen,” he said.

The former public servant had bought the Kookaburra Outdoor Cinema in 2015 from his friend and previous owner Lindsay Morris, who built the screen back in the mid 1990s.

He said he was blown away by the amount of support he has received from the community.

“I can’t believe it, I’ve had emails, texts, even phone calls, and heaps and heaps of messages on the Facebook page of people offering their help,” he said.

Mr Foyster, 75, had planned on finding new owners for the business but had hoped it would be able to make it to the end of the season in April.

“It’s just too much, I used to come here earlier in the morning to do stuff, but I can’t go for more than an hour or so without having to rest.

“I’d love to be able to restore it and hopefully someone could take over,” he said.

GALLERY

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