Step back in time at Australia's most magical starlit movie theatre

Inside a timber building in Broome's main street is a door that takes you back in time. Behind the historic facade is the original Sun Pictures, officially recognised by the Guiness Book of Records in 2004 as the world's oldest open-air cinema still in operation. If you love cinema like I do, walking into the original building with its historic and contemporary movie posters, lush tropical garden, soft green lawn, and rows of low-slung seats under a tin and timber roof promises a special night out, where the environment contributes as much to the atmosphere as the story playing out on the big screen.

My movie watching plans will have to wait a few hours though: it's daytime, so there's no film screenings. I'm here for the audio tour, an old-school news-reel-style narration that tells the story of this remarkable cinema and the people behind it.

Sitting on a deckchair listening to the voice-over, the story of the Sun and its role in the life of Broome is entertaining and informative. As well as a timeline of the cinema's history there are plenty of rollicking stories: I hear about its Japanese origins, the regular fights between patrons' dogs, drunkenness, the tides that would flood the cinema a couple of times a year leaving cinema-goers wading down the aisles, the Japanese attack on Broome in 1942, and the legacy of segregation in the cinema, a practice that lasted until 1967.

Beyond Cable Beach (and Broome's many other natural wonders), Sun Pictures is possibly this once wild west town's most enduring attraction. It was built in 1903 by the Yamasaki family, who owned a sprawling Asian goods emporium in Broome's main street. The family's love of theatre inspired them to convert part of their emporium to a stage for Noh theatre performances. Sadly, the era of classical theatre was short lived. Only a decade later, traditional Japanese culture was replaced with the low-brow kind: a new form of popular entertainment, the moving picture.

Back then, movies were shown only in outdoor cinemas - the era of grand cinema palaces still another decade away - and Sun Pictures has held on to its rustic charm. In 1989 it was registered with the National Trust. The historic emporium facade and its tin and timber construction remain, but the old-school projection equipment is now confined to the cinema's museum.

Despite its age and standing, Sun Pictures doesn't feel like a museum piece. While many tourists come to experience the cinema out of curiosity, like many other outdoor cinemas in remote and regional Australia, it's a community hub and, of course, a great place to watch a movie: PG-rated at the first screening, M-rated films for later.

Yukie Barnett has been managing the cinema since 2011, and although the owners have changed several times over its 123-year history, she says the film experience has remained essentially the same. Even if you adopt Broome locals' early-to-bed, early-to-rise philosophy, a visit to the Sun is a Broome must-do.

Barnett is both enthusiastic and philosophical about the cinema's charm. In a small remote town (population 14,660 at the 2021 census) there's not a lot to do at night, so you have to embrace the possibilities.

"It really is the best thing to do," says Barnett, then pauses and smiles. "It's also the only thing to do."

Cairns, QLD

Held in the Cairns Botanic Gardens, the Starry Night Cinema program features family-friendly classics and the occasional special event such as an annual screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Halloween. Find a spot on the lawn among one of the best collections of tropical plants in Australia, and grab a drink from the bar, featuring products from local breweries and distilleries. Season runs from July to November. Tickets from $10. endcredits.org.au

Kununurra, WA

Kununurra's Picture Gardens open-air cinema has been community owned and run by volunteers since 1963, two years after the town was first established. Cinema president Cheryl Durrans says it's "the most loved institution in the town". The Picture Gardens screens new releases on Friday and Saturday nights from March to November/December. BYO chairs and rugs, and nab the best viewing spots on the lawn. Tickets from $10. kpg.org.au

Exmouth, WA

Winton, QLD

Winton's The Royal Open-Air Theatre has become a drawcard for this tiny town in central west Queensland. The 1918-built theatre hosts screenings several times a week including new releases, Sunday Classics and a Nostalgia Night on Mondays, and is home to the annual Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival every June/July. Tickets from $10. royaltheatrewinton.com.au

Christmas Island

The most remote outdoor cinema in Australia, Christmas Island's open-air cinema was built in the 1970s and is a beloved cultural institution attracting crowds of up to 150 a session. It's open Saturday nights at 7.30pm year-round (even if it does sometimes get rained out in the wet season). Tickets $5. facebook.com/ChristmasIslandOutdoorCinema

The writer was a guest of Tourism WA