[William Darbyshire Home Movies: Reel 5]

William (Billy) Darbyshire (1903–1979) was a film enthusiast and traveller who emigrated with his parents England to Australia in 1911. It may have been this early trip that influenced a young Billy to travel the world later in life and film his travels as he went.

First travelling to Africa for work and to various destinations whilst in service during WWII, Billy would continue to travel after the war throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific and North America. It was in this period, during the 1960s, that he purchased an 8mm movie camera which resulted in a collection of films that capture his travels, taking in the sites of the world from Asia to Europe and Africa to the Americas.

The films were originally made using Standard 8mm film. The quality of the film can be a little challenging as it is jumpy, damaged and scratched at times.

In this film, Billy travels to Peking (Beijing), China in 1960, filming cultivated fields, waterways, temples, public gardens and Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

Selected highlights list:
00:00:02:00 travelling by train alongside waterways
00:00:49:00 red temple gates
00:00:10:00 small boats on the water
00:01:20:00 filming cultivated fields from a fast moving train
00:01:40:00 street scenes in a town or city
00:02:00:00 military parade or drill in a public square
00:02:30:00 a fort, castle or temple walls
00:03:36:00 Tiananmen Square in Beijing and a lovely green bus travelling through it
00:03:45:00 views around Beijing
00:04:50:00 views of public garden settings, temples and castles
00:06:30:00 a large bronze or copper urn stands outside a temple.
00:07:00:00 views of details on outside temple walls
00:07:35:00 large urn
00:08:55:00 views of inside a temple or castle