[Fred Daley Collection]

A collection of silent, 8mm home movies by steam train enthusiast Fred Daley, capturing scenes of steam trains, the Daley family, vintage cars, railway stations, and snapshots of rural and city life.

The films are mainly shot on family holidays in various locations across Victoria from the City of Melbourne to Warburton, Apollo Bay and Mornington Peninsula, to a long road trip to Cooma, New South Wales. There is also a work specially dedicated to Victoria’s most famous steam train, Puffing Billy.

Fred was a skilled filmmaker - we are presented with polished films, employing use of a tripod, nifty title sequences and astute editing. Whilst filming steam trains was his passion, made evident by the many hours of footage dedicated to them, Fred also shows the family’s love of the outdoors on summer holidays, road trips, gardens, Luna Park, a game of football at the MCG, picnics and relaxing on the beach.

The titles shown here were made from the mid-to-late 1960s but Fred’s collection spans some fifty years. Kindly donated to the ACMI Collection by Fred’s son Neville, Fred’s Films provide memories not only for his family but also for the collective memory of Victorians, steam train buffs, filmmakers, historians, or anyone who has the pleasure of watching them.

A collection of silent home movies filmed by train enthusiast Fred Daley.
Footage of:
Daley Family
Steam trains
Vintage cars
Railway stations
Family holidays
Locations across Victoria
Warburton
Echuca
Heathcote
Mornington
Tasmania
Alice Springs