“Waffor?” queried the other.

“Mum and Dad want me to keep ‘em a log.”

These words conjure memories of going to the ‘Mines’ free, open air ‘pictures’ called the B.S.D, if you lived in The Isa during the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Opened in October 1954, the B.S.D Pictures was the brain child of George Fisher, then Chairman of Directors of Mount Isa Mines Ltd., who was concerned that there was inadequate “… moving picture facilities in Mount Isa.”

No one seemed to be concerned that there was an underground feud of political proportions between Fisher and the then ALP State Member of Parliament, Jim Smith, who also owned the only other remaining picture theatre in town.

Rather, Fisher was more concerned with the social welfare of mine employees and their families and believed the new theatre would provide alternative entertainment during the evenings. And with its close approximation to the B.S.D Single Men’s Quarters, the new theatre was named the B.S.D in reference to site of the American Army ‘Base Supply Depot’ of the late forties. Colloquially called ‘the B.S.D’, there was never a need to add ‘Pictures’ for it was a given that you were referring to the free, open air theatre on the Mineside.

George Fisher insisted that the B.S.D Pictures would be a picture show without a box office, in other words, there was no admission price; perhaps another nudge at Smith who had taken to showing sub-standard films while at the same time increasing the admission price to one shilling.

But for the sake of no admission fee, people were willing to wait several months after release, before seeing the latest A Grade movies such as ‘The Key’ staring William Holden, Sophia Loren and Trevor Howard, or ‘The Wild One’ with Marlon Brando, Robert Keith and Lee Marvin. This was because the distributors had a rule that no new features could be screened until they had been shown at the commercial outlets (Smith’s Town Picture Theatre first and later the Tropicaire Drive-In Theatre).

The casual atmosphere of spreading a blanket on the river sand and lying down to watch the picture screen (this is when the log became a welcome headrest) was embraced by all including family pets sharing their owners’ blankets.

There was no restriction on who or what could go to the B.S.D Pictures. And as George Hammond, one of the early projectionists, recalled the entertainment was not always on screen, with dogs regularly having a snarl at each other or at the hill-side snakes as they slithered through the maze of blankets and pillows.

No one is recorded as having been bitten by a snake at the B.S.D Pictures but many a wild tale has gone down about the big black one that got away after a blanket shake.

This was life in the Isa and everyone got on with enjoying the pictures. In later years, another form of side line entertainment was satellite spotting in the sky. – ‘… there’s one!’ and the word would go round.

Young children loved going to the B.S.D whether it was summer or winter as they could wear their ‘jarmies ready for bed when they got home. But with a slag heap at the rear of the screen, the temptation to play and throw handfuls of slag (a mining by-product) around was a great source of fun for children with the result that the once clean ‘jarmies would need to be changed before bed.

And it was not an uncommon sight to see Dad relaxing prone on the blanket while Mum sat beside him changing baby’s nappy, without interruption to watching the picture.

Geoffrey Dalton noted on Facebook that walking home after the movie was always a problem to which Carolyn Hay recalled also on Facebook, “ … the walk home was often interesting, with one of the kids sleep walking and wandering behind another family …” 

When television arrived in Mount Isa in the early seventies, the three programme changes each week as reduced to two with pictures screened on Tuesday/Wednesday and Friday/Saturday nights.

Each screening would start at 7.30 pm on the dot, with a CineSound News Reel, followed by a short documentary and on occasion a cartoon and then the main attraction, finishing at 9.30 pm. For the projectionists including George Hammond, Len Pedwell, Ray Prideaux, Les Walls, Jack Holly, Phil Madsen, Jack Atkinson and Des McElroy their tall tales and true of the shenanigans of patrons was always worth a good laugh.

Les Walls had been a projectionist for the Community Film and Social Club at Hilton Hall before going over to the B.S.D.Pictures and when the Tropicaire Drive-In Theatre opened its gates, two of his mates, Phil Madsen and Ray Prideaux went out there.

However in May, 1966, the original open air theatre was closed so that the barracks could be extended over the site of the B.S.D Pictures. And when the cinema reopened several weeks later, it had a new home a half kilometre south towards Dajarra Road where it continued to screen two programmes per week for many more years.

There were sighs of regret in the community when in later years, Acting Administration Manager Harvey Smith announced the closure of the B.S.D Pictures. And after neigh on three decades there was no longer a rush to get to the B.S.D Pictures early for a log, as the best and biggest factor in typing families together in Mount Isa, would stay silent every night of the week

Researched and written by Kim-Maree Burton.

Information sourced from Mount Isa Library History Department, Mount Isa Mines Ltd newsletters and magazines, personal recollections from Mrs Barbara Fisher and the North West Star.