[Nixon Family Home Movies: Reel 5]

In the Nixon Family Home Movie Collection, married film enthusiasts Les and Dorothy Nixon have captured their family life from when their children are very young to when they are young adults, at home in Geelong, during wonderful beach holidays at Point Roadknight on the Victorian coast, and when going about their everyday activities, from the 1960s to the 1980s.

The films show life in regional and suburban Victoria at the time: playing in the backyard and bike riding down the street (no helmets of course), lots of tennis, lots of beach and swimming, lots of family visits, birthday parties and family barbeques or picnic gatherings. Along the way, the films also record the distinctive fashion (often handmade) and hairstyles of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, through Dorothy Nixon being so stylish a dresser herself, and at the many family weddings across the extended family.

The films are made on Standard 8mm and then Super 8mm film, and are in reasonable condition though a little shaky or damaged at times.

This film features tennis tournaments in Geelong, Ballarat and Shepparton, as well as horse riding at a family farm and attending the extended family weddings in Bellbrae and Geelong. A highlight is Karen’s 13th birthday.

Selected highights list:
00:00:38:00 Karen and Stuart in their uniforms, for Bells Park Primary School
00:02:20:00 the family enjoying their garden
00:02:35:00 birthday cake in the backyard, probably for Karen’s 13th birthday
00:03:22:00 Karen and other young tennis players
00:04:30:00 a group of cyclists ride up a hill
00:05:35:00 camping and tennis
00:06:02:00 a group of older women of the family smile for the camera
00:07:05:00 Dorothy and Stuart smile at the camera
00:07:40:00 water skiing on a river seen in the background, and swimmers in a swimming pool
00:08:19:00 a boy in the extended family poses in his pyjamas near a classic ‘Hills Hoist’ washing line at a camping and caravan park
00:08:50:00 Dorothy playing tennis
00:11:10:00 Stuart on a ‘Dragster’ bicycle
00:12:55:00 Stuart paints the family home terrace rail, followed by Les painting the house
00:13:28:00 Stuart proudly shows his new watch to the camera
00:14:33:00 horse riding
00:19:00:00 family wedding featuring a fabulous example of a 1970s dress
00:19:23:00 a member of the bridal party sporting fabulous 1970s ‘sideburns’
00:22:20:00 a row of moustaches in the bridal party