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the Archive’s production and prompted its search for appro- Marking Time — was released in August 1996. After a further
priate footage in the existing national collection, and in other six months of research, the sequel VFL On Film Vol. 2 — cov-
public and private collections — a search which took it into ering the immediate post-war period to the first stage of the
three states over five years, and unearthed a wealth of fasci- national competition — was released in 1997.
nating material and stories in the process. The Archive was assisted in its task of identifying players,
It soon became obvious also that such a project couldn’t matches, and associated events depicted in the historical
look at the riverboats in isolation. The work they undertook, footage by respected football writers and historians, Russell
the places they visited, the activities they gave rise to, the haz- Holmesby, Michael Roberts, and Col Hutchinson. They pored
ards they faced, the passengers they carried, the crews they over these flickering images with almost forensic-like zeal —
employed — all these aspects demanded comparable treat- to the extent that, for the first time, this early material has now
ment as the project developed. been provenanced and contextualised.
As a result, the Archive transferred From the 1909-1945 period, for example,
more than 60 separate reels or segments they succeeded in identifying more than
of film containing material relevant to 180 players, officials, and other personal-
this project. Much of this footage appears ities. Even the umpires get a mention!
in the final production — forming a rich In other words, these are now legiti-
mosaic of life along Australia’s greatest mate archival records, not just jerky or
river over a fifty year period. scratchy pictures of funny fellows run-
Drawing on the research and footage ning around in caps, vests, and knicker-
copied by the Archive, the NRS Group bockers!
(National Recording Studios) in Canberra In addition, the two videos provide
was commissioned to put it together for The capture of Ned Kelly, from due focus on the fans — the changing
video release. Moving away from the pure- The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) faces in the stands and on the terraces
ly chronological approach of the earlier as featured in over the years — highlighting footy’s
Archive compilation videos, writer/director Living Melbourne 1896-1910. perennial and unique appeal to
Christine Rayfield presented Riverboats Melburnians. The Archive also deliber-
Remembered as “…a story with pictures — moving pictures”. ately chose not to exclude any relevant footage, on the basis
As the opening commentary intimates: that all of it would be of interest to some footy fans, and some
of it would be of interest to all. Almost everything located on
“This is a story about the Murray riverboats but it’s also a film pertaining to VFL history, in the pre-1945 period at least,
glimpse of the National Film and Sound Archive’s ever is in there — prompting The Football Record, at the time of
expanding collection — documenting Australian life and her- the initial video release, to describe it as “…one of the finest,
itage — as it happened, and as it is happening now.” most moving pieces of culture, history; perspective, and
Australian life any football fan could wish to have.”
And, as with the Living Ballarat video, without the support While searching for background footage to help contextu-
of many local groups and individuals — in the form of infor- alise the match sequences in VFL On Film 1946-1982,it
mation, advice, or loan of valuable material from their own became obvious to Melbourne Archive staff that the
collections — this archival video release would have been 1950s was a very fertile period for footage pertain-
much the poorer. ing to Melbourne, and to the 1956 Olympic Games
The Centenary of (AFL) Football pro- in particular.
vided the impetus for the next project under- It was always intended to extend the Living
taken by the Archive Melbourne Office. Melbourne concept and, with the developing
While there is never a shortage of current or interest in Games-related material in the count-
recent visual images of Aussie Rules avail- down to Sydney 2000, the Melbourne Office rea-
able to footy fans, a surprising amount of soned that a video dealing with the 1956 Games
footage of VFL action from the pre-television would be timely indeed. This plan was duly
era had also survived — much of it unseen (by expanded, retaining the Olympics as the cen-
the present generation of football followers at trepiece but adding lengthy sections on
least). Clips of archival film of early League Greater Melbourne before and after.
matches had long been held by the Archive and At the end of an equally lengthy research
used from time to time, but mainly as back- and scripting period, more than 200 films or
ground, to provide period ‘flavour’ for news sto- segments had been previewed and shot-list-
ries or documentaries, or for short flashback seg- ed, subject material arranged under six the-
ments on TV sports programs. But with the AFL matic headings, and program length set at
Centenary approaching, the Archive saw an oppor- 150 minutes — by far the most ambitious
tunity to contribute to the celebrations in 1996 by single video production assignment undertaken by the
finding out more about the football-related films in its collec- Archive’s Melbourne Office in association with its Technical
tion, and making this material available to the football public Services Division in Canberra. Titled Melbourne: Films of the
via video release. Fifties, the completed video was released in June 1998, and
The plan to release this footage on a single tape was quick- has enjoyed steady sales since that time.
ly revised after initial research yielded additional football film As the Melbourne-based video production program has
gems. The decision was made to divide all this material into developed over the years, its aims and outcomes have become
two parts: the first of these — VFL On Film 1909-1945 progressively clearer. As suggested earlier; central to the pro-

28 Autumn 2001 CINEMARECORD