[Gadsden Family Home Movie Collection]

It wasn’t just the Kodak factory in Coburg that produced amazing images during its hey-day. The then-industrial zone was also home to the Gadsden factory, which employed around 1000 workers in the 1960s, and specialised in can-making and packaging. The success of the business allowed two generations of Gadsden men, Stanley and his son Ronald, to pursue their interest in amateur filmmaking – a relatively expensive hobby for the time.

We, and future generations, have benefited from their keen eye and passion for home movies, with a donation of films spanning the decades from the early 30s to the late 80s. The two cameramen captured the passage of time through their family, preserving a fascinating window into bygone days and customs.

Through the films we see early Melbourne, including some rare footage of a flooded Yarra River in the 1930s. Days at the beach, tennis, parties, interstate holidays and trips to the country have also been filmed, including a passion for skiing with many films in the collection featuring action both on the slopes and après–skiing at the lodge. You see the children growing up, the dapper fashions – a time when a dad and his kid in matching shirts was quite lovely.

The collection also contains a hidden gem, a short film labelled ‘de Groot’, which may be the only footage of the infamous Sydney Harbour Bridge Opening ribbon cutter – wielding a sword atop a horse, Francis de Groot declared the Bridge open to the horror of the officiating party. He was unexpected and uninvited!

This collection of home movies was originally made on 8mm and 16mm film.