the character of the district underwent a major change, from rural to suburban residential. The rapid development of North Ryde saw many of the older dwellings and buildings demolished. After the war the huts previously used by the army on the southern side of Blenheim Road were utilised as a migrant hostel and for Australian families in urgent need of accommodation due to the acute housing shortage. A large pig farm was located at the northern end of Wicks Road and was operational until the late 1960s. An outdoor theatre had operated in Khartoum Road for many years showing silent and then "talkie" movies and was known locally as "the Shack". In 1956 the North Ryde Skyline Drive-In Theatre was opened on the southern corner of Waterloo and Lane Cove Roads, on land that was previously an orange orchard. It had capacity for 639 cars, a fully equipped restaurant with facilities which also housed the projection booths, and a large children's playground was located under the huge screen. It showed its final movies, Rocky IV and Conan The Destroyer, on 5 February 1986. Cox's Road North Ryde's main street is Cox's Road (the lower part of which was previously Coomassie Street). and was originally sandstone-lined to make it easier to haul goods up and down from the wharf on the Lane Cove River to the top of the hill. Cox's Road was named after Joseph Cox who owned land and lived in the area. Coxs Road was spelled with an apostrophe (Cox's) until recent times, though local street signs and Ryde Council still call it Cox's Road. The original North Ryde Post Office on Lane Cove Road was opened in 1885 and in 1908 was moved to Cox's Road, and has since relocated premises within the Cox's Road Shopping precinct at least six times. The North Ryde School of Arts and Literary Institute, built in 1901 on land donated by William Cox of Pomona, became the venue for the annual ball, community meetings, fetes, art exhibitions, dances and culture. Extensions were built in 1907 with the North Ryde Library Branch located here. Cox’s Road has 2 schools a Public and Catholic school, they are both primary schools.The original building was demolished in 1980 and a new Community Centre, School of Arts and Library complex was built. J. Thompson's Shop (1904) in Cox's Road was the general store and post office