Inside the walls of a huge country shed, vintage cinema projectors, harking back to the silent era, whir into life under David McGowan's careful watch.

It's like stepping back to a different time and Mr McGowan, a 71-year-old self-confessed 'fanatic collector' and cinema owner, is in his element.

'I live in vintage land,' he said with a laugh.

Mr McGowan recently acquired a huge collection of vintage cinema projection equipment and film reels, collected over many years by 78-year-old Phil Maddison, from Drillham, Queensland.

The collection is so big, it's already taken six semi-trailer loads to move it to a shed near Mr McGowan's home town of Laurieton, on the NSW Mid North Coast.

There are still two more semi-trailer loads to come.

"I'm not aware of any other collection in Australia this big. It's a passion, it's a journey of passion," Mr McGowan said.

"Call me crazy, but it's just an extension of who I am."

'A labour of love'

Some of the equipment dates back around 100 years, hand-cranked projectors from the silent era, through to high end machines from the 1960s and '70s. 

"It's all vintage — all early film projection technology. There are about 40 projectors, hundreds of reels of film," Mr McGowan said.

"Everything came in parts, I had to put it together and that was quite funny. My aim is to have everything I've got working." 

When he tinkers with the machines, Mr McGowan's passion is evident.

"It’s like a vintage car, these things are like vintage cars, when they are running they talk to you," he said.

"It's my personal 'men's shed'

Most times I have no one else around me which I like, maybe I might bring my golden retriever.

"I can spend hours here just pottering around like an old man and I thoroughly enjoy it. At 71, it keeps me young."

'This is where we have come from'

Mr McGowan said some of the 35/70 millimetre projectors had featured in prominent Australian cinemas, including two which were installed in the Ascot Theatre, on Pitt Street in Sydney, for the release of Oklahoma in 1956.

He also has a vast and eclectic collection of old film reels, including many features.

"In my collection I have serial chapters, with full cliffhangers, of the Captain Marvels, the Batman serials.

"These are on 35mm from the early 40s to the late 40s," he said.

"I have the first technicolour film made on location, starring Henry Fonda and  Fred MacMurray, around 1934, a film called Trail of the Lonesome Pine."

Mr McGowan has set up a huge screen to test the projectors, and vintage slides, feature films and commercials come to life in the big shed.

Mr McGowan said it was a 'physical history' of Australian cinema.

"It's important to preserve this stuff because this is where we have come from, this is the history of the film entertainment industry," he said.

David McGowan has been passionate about the cinema industry since he was a boy and now runs his own cinema at Laurieton.

Story By | Emma Siossian