[George Robinson Parsons Home Movies: Reel 1]

The George Robinson Parsons Home Movie Collection is a collection of home movies originally made on 16mm AGFA film. George Robinson (Robin) Parsons was an amateur filmmaker who made home movies on a Bolex camera during the period 1929 to 1938. The home movies show life in Melbourne and regional Victoria in the 1930s.

This film shows an example of life in Victoria, Australia, just prior to the Second World War. Much of it revolves around members of the Parsons family and friends who are clearly not camera shy. In a number of scenes, you can see individuals playing up to the camera. There is even a staged boxing match on the beach where Robin (George Robinson) Parsons experimented with using special effects.

The film shows several Victorian locations including Melbourne, Dromana, Rosebud Aerodrome, Cape Schanck, Mt Hotham, Mallacoota, Wangarrata and Yallourn. Dromana Beach is featured a few times and appears to be a family favourite for swimming and family gatherings.

This film is rich with fashion of the period, both casual and formal, including two weddings of different periods and golfing attire.

Included in the film is the 1935 centennial celebrations parade showing crowded street with brass bands travelling down Collins Street, including a brief scene of an Aboriginal float. Much of these scenes are taken from the rooftop of Parsons Bros and company building. The company would later form Uncle Toby’s.

The film also includes the Shrine of Remembrance, St Pauls cathedral, Princes Bridge and many other Melbourne landmarks including some buildings and sites that no longer exist.

Of interest are the many forms of transport that are seen throughout which include cars, trams, horses, bicycles, motor bike with side carriage, a canoe, bi planes, fighter planes, a gyrocopter, the Saro A17 Cutty Sark seaplane (only 12 were ever created), transport planes, steamboats, tugboats, a navy ship, locomotives and a Melbourne ferry.

Also of interest is a scene from the 1939 Australian Championship at Kooyong Stadium with John Bromwich and Adrian Quist.

Selected Highlights List
00:00:02:00 – Geoffrey and Jean Parsons playing with a Fox Terrier
00:01:12:00 – Wedding of Mary Dowling Woods and John Bedggood
00:02:07:00 – Melbourne Grammar Sports day at the MCG
00:03:52:00 – The Rose family, Aeneas Gunn and Robin Parsons at the Rose family home with dogs
00:05:10:00 – Doug Rose and Aeneas Gunn riding a cow
00:07:34:00 – Steam boat on the Yarra River
00:07:48:00 – Parson family and friends swimming at Dromana beach showing 1930’s swimming costumes
00:08:44:00 Sidney and Susannah Parsons at Dromana Beach
00:09:53:00 – Parsons family doing Acrobats, playing games and making a human tower at Dromana Beach
00:10:55:00 – Bi Planes – VH–UHR, VH-UHS and VH-UAT
00:12:23:00 – Two women and Geoffrey Parsons on a rug in the garden of the family home
00:14:01:00 – Susannah Parsons demonstrating her golfing swing
00:14:52:00 – View of Princes bridge with Flinders Street Railway station in the Background
00:15:20:00 – View towards the Flinders street Fish Market (demolished in 1956)
00:15:26:00 – Steam boats docked on the Yarra river.
00:15:46:00 – Navy ship in the harbour
00:16:06:00 – The shrine of Remembrance (before the gardens were there) and views of Melbourne from its balcony.
00:21:28:00 – View of Collins Street from the roof of the Parson Bros Mill near Spencer street station, showing the 1935 centennial celebrations parade
00:22:45:00 – Sidney Parsons, Robin Parsons and unknown man playing golf
00:23:56:00 - View from the rooftop of Parsons Bros Mill on Collins Street looking up towards the Victorian Railway administration offices on Spencer street and down Flinders Lane.
00:24:20:00 – People lining Nicholson street (near parliament gardens) to watch lavish floats and masked performers.
00:30:56:00 – Parson family members at the beach in Dromana
00:37:24:00 – Doug and Charlie Parsons climbing the sign labelled the highest house in Australia at Hotham Heights and camping trip
00:42:30:00 – Front view of motorbike with side car following on the road in wet weather
00:27:23:00 – Parson brothers, friends and fiancée Jean, on the coast of Cape Shanck.
00:42:59:00 – Jean Parsons (portrait view)
00:43:03:00 – Robin Parsons (portrait view) smoking
00:43:18:00 – 1939 Australian Championship, Kooyong Stadium – John Bromwich and Adrian Quist
00:43:56:00 – Wedding of unknown couple
00:44:42:00 – VH-USQ Cierva C.30A Auto gyro (Gyrocopter)
00:46:37:00 – The Saro A17 Cutty Sark seaplane off Dromana Beach. Geoffrey Parsons climbing out of the Cockpit. (VH-UNV)
00:47:51:00 – Douglas DC-2 Airliner VH-USY “Bungana” outside Holymans hangar at Melbourne/Essendon airport
00:48:24:00 – Miles M-3 Merlin (VH-UXN) (Came to Australia in 1936)
00:48:41:00 – De Havilland D.H. 86A express (VH-UUB) Loila outside Holymans Hanger at Melbourne Essendon airport
00:53:23:00 – Rifle shooting in the snow at Mount Hotham