New Carpark = Happy Customers

The charm of The Border Theatre is obvious from the moment our customers drive through the grand, newly installed art deco gates. The renovations to restore the old theatre to the art deco style of its original design in 1938, are breathing new life and old nostalgia into our majestic cinema. The next project that seemed so obvious was addressing the carpark. Management considered the options, and in the end, we were so glad we made the call to Earthmoving Ballarat to make our carpark a wonderful experience for our customers.

The original theatre did not have a carpark. The people often walked or parked in long lines on the street, many caught the tram to the theatre. In the 50s, the owners recognized the need for a carpark as more and more people owned cars. The vacant lot in the adjacent block was purchased and the customers began parking their cars on the grass.

The carpark in those days has been described as a free-for-all where one could simply drive in, pull their hand brake on, and wherever their car stopped is where they parked. This must’ve been how the carpark felt in the 50s and 60s. Unfortunately, nothing much had changed for 60 odd years since those times. Up until the recent earthworks, the car park was still dirt and still relied on the common sense of the patronage to work out an orderly parking scheme for the day. Over the years, the ground eroded in sections and compressed under the tires of vehicles. Wheel ruts and potholes made the carpark hazardous for those without four-wheel drives, and many patrons could not bring themselves to attempt the wild terrain.

The management committee decided the theatre needed a new carpark to match the grandeur of the iron art deco gates, and our earthmoving team set to work. The team at earthmoving Ballarat came in their droves. There seemed to be an army working on our carpark on that first day. The area was first cleared of any rubbish, large rocks, and tree stumps. The next step saw a fleet of Bobcats buzz around the carpark, pushing and pulling the earth in all directions before it looked like a whole new block of land. The team then carefully graded and levelled the area before trucking in and laying a solid base of all-weather gravel.

The new carpark not only looked fresh and clean, but the actual surface was now suitable for any vehicle in any weather. The whole process only took one week and the team from earthmoving Ballarat took care of all the safety precautions. The transformation was truly astonishing.

The very next day the carpark was opened and a parade of cars great and small glided easily over the surface. No more worrying about getting bogged in the mud or getting lost down a pothole. Our carpark is now as inviting as our theatre and our customers can appreciate the convenience.