[KenRa Films Present: the Kenneth Rankine Home Movie Collection: Reel 31]

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.

This film begins with the title ‘Beauty in Victoria’ which is Kenneth’s reference to the beauty that includes nature, the Queen, a ‘bathing beauty’ contest and city night lights. Titles for the reel also include ‘Visit the Buchan Caves’ with specific directions to a ‘Modern Camp Site’ both of which introduce a lengthy look at the Buchan area. The reel ends with a quick look at ‘Port Campbell’.

Selected highlights list:
00:00:28:00 on the way to the caves, the Rankines make a stop at the Caves Hotel where Mrs Rankine keeps an eye on a magpie alongside the family car which as always, features in Kenneth’s travel footage.

00:00:39:00 the camp site is within the ‘Buchan Caves National Park’ whcih is well signed on an overhead stone archway.

00:00:49:00 begins a sequence of shots that show off the ‘modern’ camp site. We see the ‘A E LIND’ Swimming Pool, the various amenities and stone and timber buildings of the camp area such as the ‘Children’s Playground’, ‘Kitchen’ and ‘Carwash’. We also see a wonderful red truck of the era and plenty of wandering sheep.

00:01:55:00 we see Mrs Rankine at the ‘Royal Cave’ entrance.

00:02:26:00 a sequence of farmland views and shots of a bluetongue lizard.

00:03:27:00 title ‘Coronation Week’ begins with a picture of the Queen followed by various buildings decorated in British colours of red, white and blue.

00:03:58:00 decorated Palais theatre and Luna Park at St Kilda.

00:04:41:00 Melbourne city streets and department stores such as a highly decorated Myer and Foy’s departments stores, and the Queen’s name across the Elizabeth St entrance to the Flinders St Station.

00:05:30:00 Kenneth begins a nightlights sequence to show the decorations in neon.

00:09:33:00 ‘The Sun Beach Girl Finals’ where Kenneth films the parade and judges without filming the winner but showing the popularity of these events.

00:14:04:00 title ‘Port Campbell’ and brief views of the windy, rocky coastline and dramatic waves.