[KenRa Films Present: the Kenneth Rankine Home Movie Collection: Reel 7]

Kenneth Carruthers Rankine (1890 - 1968) was a keen amateur cinematographer and filmmaker. This collection of his home movies has been donated to ACMI by Kenneth’s granddaughter. The collection represents a wonderful slice of life in Australia; with contents including scenes of everyday life, major family occasions, holidays around Victoria and views of Melbourne.

In this film Kenneth and some fellow travellers visit the Grampians showing the varied scenery across the mountainous ranges and the valley, groups of people relaxing and enjoying natural surrounds as well as hiking and gathering for a picnic.

Selected highlights list:

00:00:07:00 title card ‘Our Grampians’ starts us off travelling along a country road where we see the sign to Halls Gap and other local towns, followed by a sign for “Hotel Bellfield” and a spot of golf.

00:00:02:00 ‘Splitter Falls’ sign appears ahead of more views of the mountainous range, roads and the valley below.
00:04:12:00 a very long waterfall.

00:04:57:00 a group of tourist overlooling the hills from a high vantage point.

00:05:13:00 a photographer setting up a spectacular looking shot of people sitting on rocks.

00:06:37:00 toasting bread on an open fire and the sign ‘New scenic track to McKenzie Falls’.

00:09:27:00 women holding a bunch of wildflowers one of whom sports a classic 40’s headscarf style.

00:10:21:00 we see a tree being prepared for felling by two mean using a double ended saw followed by a logging truck.

00:11:14:00 sign to ‘Wonderland’ followed by a large group of people trekking up a rocky incline, taking rests on the rocks, climbing narrow ravines and finally looking out from the top.

00:15:07:00 the travellers stand around a fire with a billy-can, cooking lambchops and bread.

00:17:12:00 a farmer and his tractor from a close view and pink tinged clouds.