[Douglas Wilson Home Movies: Reel 5]

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.

The first part of this film briefly shows an outdoor art show before moving on to water ski jumping on the Yarra River – both are part of the ‘Moomba’ celebrations. The second part shows a road trip from Glenroy to Macedon ending at ‘Cameron Lodge’, Macedon all in Victoria.

Good views of the water ski jumping and the crowds watching from the banks. The road trip shows excellent views of small towns such as Keilor and Diggers Rest, vehicles passing on country roads and roadside scenes including telegraph poles.

Extensive views of the gardens of Cameron Lodge in Macedon including the rotunda, lake, stepping stones and family scenes in the garden.

Originally made using 16mm film.

Selected highlights list:
00:00:00:00 outdoor art show
00:00:44:00 Yarra River
00:01:00:00 the ‘Moomba’ festival on the riverbank
00:01:14:00 water skiing
00:02:00:00 water skiing over a jump
00:02:30:00 crowd watching from riverbank
00:03:40:00 title card ‘Glenroy to Macedon 4-3-61’
00:03:47:00 footage of car trip filmed from moving car showing country roads
00:04:38:00 car parked next to Keilor road sign. Good views of cars on road including VW beetle and Holdens, views of telegraph poles
00:05:05:00 road bridge with curved arch
00:05:10:00 ‘Keilor Hotel’ and parked cars, street scenes
00:05:20:00 Diggers Rest town scenes
00:05:40:00 countryside from moving car
00:06:35:00 Jacksons Creek bridge
00:07:28:00 small town with parked Holdens and BP service station
00:07:46:00 title card ‘Cameron Lodge Macedon 4-3-61’
00:07:52:00 views of Cameron Lodge and man walking in gardens
00:08:24:00 views of garden rotunda
00:08:37:00 two women and baby in lodge garden
00:08:40:00 man photographing garden
00:08:47:00 man in rotunda surrounded by lake, crossing stepping stones
00:09:21:00 group walk through lush vegetation including tree ferns
00:09:46:00 walking through lodge garden
00:10:03:00 children playing in rotunda and on stepping stones
00:10:46:00 group of children and adults on lakeside steps
00:11:10:00 title card ‘The End’