[Douglas Wilson Home Movies: Reel 4]

Douglas Wilson (1919–1980) was an amateur filmmaker whose films are a snapshot of Australia in the 1950s to 1960s. Douglas’s home movies captured aspects of life in Australia’s major cities as well as in regional areas, often with a focus on public areas, transport or infrastructure projects. A collection of his films has been donated to ACMI by a member of Douglas’s family.

In this film, we spend time around a bay that is probably Port Phillip in Melbourne. Scenes are filmed on the piers and from the piers, capturing all the activity. There are lovely scenes of yachts sailing, people watching boat races, adults and children fishing and dockside workers undertaking their jobs on the piers.

The film also contains wonderful scenes of the celebration parade for the ‘Centenary of Essendon Municipal Government’ from 1961.

Originally made using 16mm film.

Selected highlights list:
00:00:03:00 a large ship
00:00:20:00 yachts on the bay with a pier in the foreground
00:01:03:00 a large 3-sail yacht tacking in the bay
00:01:19:00 a fishing rod in the foreground
00:01:20:00 children and adults fishing off the pier
00:01:28:00 men working with a tractor and pulley on the pier
00:02:02:00 pulleys being operated to take up large chains and an anchor on a pier
00:02:57:00 closer up to some yachts
00:02:05:00 motor boats on the bay
00:03:50:00 large yacht and passengers close up
00:04:07:00 a military ship
00:04:26:00 yachts racing on the bay
00:04:42:00 an older man, wearing a classic 1940s – 1950s style hat, standing on the pier looking out across the bay
00:05:00:00 a boy wearing rolled up trousers, fishing off the pier and more lovely yachts sailing by before we see a man and another boy who is lying down on the pier alongside his fishing rod
00:05:34:00 a motor boat goes by
00:05:42:00 a young man rowing a small rowboat
00:06:12:00 women wearing wide floral skirts, sitting on beach chairs on the pier, boys fishing and a bicycle
00:06:19:00 a tugboats travels past the pier
00:06:25:00 small cars on the pier
00:06:46:00 a large ship sails into the bay
00:06:55:00 two young boys collect a wicker fishing basket and rods
00:07:24:00 large passenger ship sails close by the end of the pier where some small cars are parked
00:07:40:00 seagulls flying by
00:07:46:00 program for the ‘Centenary of Municipal Government in Essendon 1861 – 1961, official Centennial Celebration program. Saturday December 9’
00:08:00:00 a military band leads a street parade
00:08:20:00 Australian Army members march by
00:08:30:00 various ‘floats’ as well as ‘marching girls’ go by in the celebratory parade
00:08:52:00 the Girl Guides ‘World Wide Friendship’ ‘float’ goes by followed by the Essendon Football Club
00:09:25:00 the Australian Navy contingent goes by, followed by the Victorian Railways ‘float’ showing off a train carriage and a bagpipes band in full regalia
00:10:00:00 – 00:11:15:00 participants in the parade include communities dressed in traditional costumes, the local library, more marching girls, local business and associations and schools, veterans groups and the RSL, a ‘supermarket float’ and a group of horse riders
00:11:33:00 the ‘Bowmen of Essendon’ go by followed by an ‘Australian made’ stilt walker, Christmas ‘floats’ and the Scouts
00:12:05:00 the Australian Air Force, a glimpse of some walking ‘briquettes’ and some girls who might be a netball team or school group
00:12:15:00 young women modelling smart outfits of the day including hats and gloves being driven in a sports car followed by a ‘float’ for a local ‘dance hall’
00:12:45:00 ‘Home Pride Bread horse drawn van goes by with decorations and a young woman ‘baker’, followed by a giant paint tin ‘float’
00:12:53:00 a car and boat accompanied by ‘sea scouts’
00:13:07:00 ‘Essendon Brass Band’ marches by followed by the Ukraine community group in costumes and a local hospital or medical group
00:13:19:00 handmade card for ‘Essendon 1961’