[Charles Hayes Home Movies: Reel 1]

The Charles Hayes Home Movie Collection is a collection of home movies originally made on 8mm and 9.5mm film between the 1940s and 1970s by Charles Edward Hayes (1914–1993). The resulting footage shows us the life of a family living in Heathmont in Melbourne’s south east with their many pets and farm animals, their family holidays and gatherings, their suburb and their cars as well as scenes from Melbourne at the time.

This is a composite film of Hayes family life across the generations to include the grandchildren. The first segment is titled, ‘The Animals’ and features the family pets including dogs, calves, cows and the audacious cockatoo named Ticka, at home in suburban Heathmont in Melbourne’s outer east.

There are travel scenes of Narracan East, King River and the ‘Astor’ motel at Albury where Charles takes some dramatic footage of the Hume Weir. The family were keen tennis players and visited Albury at Easter so likely took part in the Albury Tennis Association competitions.

As well are some beach scenes at Point Leo, Golden Beach and Frankston where we see one of the dogs up to its neck in sand and some great examples of sixties bathing suits and sun hats.

The filmmaker shows some of the great cars at the time so that we see examples of 1960s and 1970s models. A brief segment from the Moomba Festival in Melbourne shows the ‘Frankston by the Sea’ song lyrics on one of the floats at the time.

Charles also shows the family’s involvement in tennis, trying out an early model Cortina car, and celebrating ‘Elinor’s 21st’ in white gloves and evening gowns and a display of the presents.

A particular feature of the film is the footage of ‘Southgate Fountain’ public art work by Robin Boyd (now demolished to make way for the redevelopment of Southgate on Melbourne’s Yarra river).

Originally made using Standard 8mm film.

Selected highlights list:
00:00:34:00 calves up close
00:00:53:00 a calf and a dog nuzzling and playing
00:01:33:00 family pet dog and ‘Ticka’ the cockatoo
00:02:49:00 a shivering new born calf taking first wobbly steps
00:03:19:00 Olwyn Hayes and pet dog in close-up
00:04:29:00 Ticka the pet cockatoo on a perch in the backyard
00:05:19:00 Ticka the pet cockatoo eating with family members at the kitchen table
00:05:50:00 decorated cakes for birthday and Christmas.
00:06:24:00 Olwyn and Elenor in matching dresses, likely to be home made
00:06:57:00 title card ‘Narracan East’.
00:07:32:00 family group posing for the camera on a farm tractor
00:08:18:00 Narracan Falls on the Narracan Creek in Gippsland
00:09:15:00 a scene featuring a Cortina car in the family driveway
00:10:10:00 small boy, likely to be one of the filmmakers grandsons, kicking a large coloured ball in the backyard
00:10:40:00 title card ‘King River’
00:11:02:00 younger family members toasting bread on an open fire
00:11:13:00 caravan and Falcon station wagon
00:13:19:00 younger family members putting out the hay for cattle at the family farm
00:13:33:00 younger family members enjoying a ride around the farm yard in a vintage car
00:14:46:00 a family tennis group posing together for the camera
00:15:47:00 ‘Pennant Winners 1963’ title card
00:16:39:00 ‘Pennant Winners 1964’ title card
00:18:58:00 ‘Albury Easter 1964’ title card
00:19:32:00 a Holden car parked at the weir
00:19:58:00 ‘Astor’ Motel/Hotel
00:20:25:00 a look at inside the Astor Motel room
00:20:38:00 swimming and boating on the weir
00:24:56:00 Elenor’s 21st birthday cake
00:24:02:00 the girls of the family in a pillowfight wearing ‘shorty’ or ‘babydoll’ pyjamas (a style of night wear popular at the time and often handmade at home)
00:24:45:00 picnic table set for afternoon tea in shady trees
00:25:06:00 Elenor’s 21st birthday presents on display including her modelling a sleeping bag
00:25:30:00 Olwyn and Elenor modelling their formal gowns with the Dandenong Ranges in the background
00:26:59:00 ‘Point Leo’ title card
00:27:54:00 family dog buried up to his neck in the sand
00:29:49:00 ‘golden Beach’ title card
00:30:00:00 Ansett-ANA helicopter
00:30:15:00 roadside picnic
00:30:41:00 ‘Testing Camera Zoomex’ title card
00:32:42:00 surfing on longboards
00:33:33:00 view across the Yarra River in Melbourne toward the now demolished (to make way for Federation Square) Gas & Fuel buildings in Flinders St
00:34:14:00 ‘Southgate Fountain’ public art work by Robin Boyd now demolished (to make way for the redevelopment of Southgate on Melbourne’s Yarra river)