[John Anderson Home Movies: Reel 12]

John Robert (Jack) Anderson (1924–1993) was a film distributor, cinema owner and photographer as well as an enthusiastic filmmaker in and around Ballarat in Victoria. Jack developed an interest in film very early at cinema shows and gained his first film experience while serving in WWII, photographing wartime conditions and aircraft involved in the defence of Australia’s north, including the aftermath of the Darwin bombing raid.

It was whilst working in photographic studios that Jack met his future wife, business partner and fellow film enthusiast Marie Bourke. Starting out by hiring films and showing them around regional Victoria, Jack and Marie established cinemas such as the Astor Cinema in Ararat, Bell Post Hill Drive-In in Geelong and the Southern and Northern Drive-Ins and Vegas 70 Cinema in Ballarat. In the 1970s, the Anderson family acquired and restored the Regent Theatre in Ballarat which would then become the first multiplex in regional Victoria.

Along the way, Jack filmed his family and friends activities and outings, horse racing, Ballarat street scenes, motorcycle scrambling and travel scenes on the road – an unusual and wonderful look at life in regional Victoria during the 1940s to the 1960s. A feature of the parade is the Radio Cabs entry which is a car covered in paper flowers. The Radio Cabs company in Ballarat was started by the film maker and his family and friends.

This film contains scenes from a street parade in Ballarat in regional Victoria during the 1940s or 1950s. The parade is in the style of the era - featuring floats made by and promoting local groups and businesses, government departments and marching bands.

Another feature is a large street march of citizens concerned with world peace, conscription, suppression of First Nations people, workers rights, keeping prices down and the atom bomb. It is interesting to note the large contingent of women marching in the parade and the professionally painted banners and placards.

Jack has also captured an exciting motorcycle grand prix at Ballarat which includes spectacular side car racing. Views of the races feature the motorcyclists on their 1940s and 1950s era motorbikes and in protective gear, the haybales used to secure the track, spills around corners and the enthusiastic crowds.

This film was originally made using 16mm film.

Selected highlights list:
00:00:06:00 a large crowd of spectators line up along Sturt St, Ballarat; the Carlyon Hotel can be seen in the background and period cars in the foreground
00:00:17:00 a horse and carriage laden with passengers dressed in historic costume follow a military band in a parade
00:00:24:00 a views down the historic streets of Ballarat and a women’s military band in the passing parade
00:00:47:00 participating floats
00:01:09:00 an air mail float from the Postmaster General’s Department
00:01:16:00 Easter bunny float
00:01:35:00 the Ballarat Scottish Pipe Band followed by a yellow Vauxhall Vyvern model sports car
00:01:50:00 floats pass by including one marking Australian Chinese history in the area
00:03:01:00 an historic and comedic fire brigade float
00:03:31:00 preparing the Radio Cabs float followed by views of the decorated car driving through Ballarat traffic
00:05:14:00 a truck carries a train steam engine in the parade, against a backdrop of Ballarat shops
00:05:32:00 spectators clap and wave as the the Radio Cabs float goes by in the parade
00:05:49:00 title card ‘Children make a colourful display - Ballarat Victoria News Review’
00:07:03:00 spectators at a recreation oval watch large groups of school children marching and performing dances
00:08:51:00 a fair or agricultural show with carnival rides and sideshow tents (possibly the Ballarat Show)
00:09:14:00 an aerial display overhead
00:10:00:00 farm machinery on display
00:10:10:00 a march for peace and other issues in Sydney
00:10:34:00 a large truck festooned with signs such as, ‘Demand World Peace’, ‘Union Leaders Jailed’ and ‘Aborigines Suppressed’
00:10:59:00 a glimpse of the sign for ‘New Theatre’
00:12:30:00 a dramatic fire of a large house or apartment building
00:13:50:00 interview with a motorcyclist followed by racing
00:14:53:00 signs ‘TT Motor Cycles Do Over 100 M.P.H. and ‘1950 Victorian Grand Prix Ballarat’
00:15:16:00 motorcycle riders take off in a race followed by views of the race around the track
00:15:44:00 several riders come to grief on a bend followed by scenes of the race and the crowd of spectators
00:16:51:00 riding over a wet track
00:17:20:00 the track in more open areas
00:18:05:00 sidercar racing
00:18:49:00 Norton model motor bike with side car
00:19:00:00 scenes of the races
00:20:47:00 title card ‘The End’