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Keen Eyes
Keen Eyes

Save Film
Save Film

History
History

When several large reels of 16mm
film were retrieved from a tip at
Sunbury (a suburb of outer Melbourne)
some years ago, the content remained a
mystery because the finder had no way
of viewing them. In 2007 he gave then
to CATHS’ member Tif Raynor, a
former cinema manager, projectionist
and photographer, who knew good
camera work when he saw it. Intrigued,
Tif set in train the publicity that would
Above: Tif Raynor ensures the long-term survival of the rescued film. Photo Kane Silom.
identify the cameraman and his
Below: Film frames were used to jog memories.
subjects.
The films included four weddings,
including one double wedding. The
clue to the photographer and location
was a Horsham taxi (identified by the
town name above the number plate)
decked out as a wedding car. There
were also scenes of farm life, including
ploughing and shearing.
On another reel was a record of the
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The
model of taxi, the clothes worn by the
guests and this significant international Tif was a
event set the films in the 1950s. guest at the
Tif was surprised that an amateur Horsham
would be shooting on 16mm stock, an Historical
expensive proposition at that time. His Society’s 50th
immediate interest was the identity of the anniversary dinner
photographer, and he knew that the last year, where he
wedding pictures would draw a response. screened the films
The Horsham newspaper the to a packed hall. He
Wimmera Mail Times ran with the has transferred the
story, and included frames from the contents to DVD and
films in their write-ups. The paper donated the original
followed up with front-page and other reels to the historical
coverage as more and more information society.
came in. The find attracted the national Tif laments that of
media, including a story on Channel 9. all Alan Holdsworth’s
The wedding couples were easily work, only four reels -
identified, even though one couple were about one-and-a-half
no longer living in Horsham, and the The photographer was identified as hours of viewing -
paper made much of the ‘then and now’ the late Alan Holdsworth, a former survive. “The whole collection was
photographs of the participants. resident of Jung, keen photographer thrown out, I think I’ve got the only
The double wedding took place in and documentary film collector. A ones left. It’s a huge loss to Horsham”.
the Jung Methodist Church (near staunch churchman, Mr. Holdsworth And to the nation, because a movie
Horsham) in 1952. Also on record was would show his films at district record is one of the potent windows
the wedding of Mr Don Rush in 1959, screenings as fundraisers. He sailed on onto social history. ★
“the greatest cricketer this district has the Orcades to London for the
seen” according to the Mayor of Coronation, and the film record of the Compiled from articles in the
Horsham Cr Gary Bird, when he saw event was no doubt in great demand on Wimmera Mail Times and submitted by
the images. his return. Mike Trickett.

30 2008 CINEMARECORD