[Charles Hayes Home Movie Collection]

The Charles Hayes Home Movie Collection is a collection of home movies originally made on 8mm and 9.5mm film between the 1940s and 1970s by Charles Edward Hayes (1914–1993).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.

Charles Edward Hayes was born on 28th March 1914 and grew up in Port Melbourne. In 1928 he joined Johns & Waygood in City Road, South Melbourne where he worked his way up from office boy to the machine shop becoming a fitter. In 1942 he was nominated to take charge of Johns & Waygood Munitions Annex in Montague making 10lb mortar bombs.

In the late 1940s, Charles purchased his first 9.5mm movie camera starting a hobby that would bring years of enjoyment. In November 1949 Charles purchased an Austin A40 car which he kept until 1973 – it also makes an appearance or two in the home movies! On the 11th November 1950, the family purchased a property at Miller Road, Heathmont, comprising 5 acres of land. They decided to build some sheds and try at being poultry farmers. Charles continued travelling to South Melbourne to work until 1956 when they became full time farmers.

Over the years the family had numerous cows, duck, pigs, sheep, dogs, cats and of course Ticka the cockatoo; all these animals were treated as pets. For socialising and fitness Charles with his wife Elsie, joined the local tennis club and enjoyed playing at the weekend. In 1958 Charles joined the Ringwood Movie Club through some friends and enjoyed the friendship of the club and continued to record their travels with his trusty home movie camera. In 1966 Charles went on to work for Nutritional Products in Mitcham, so they eased out of the poultry business.

Their daughter Olwyn married John Baker on the 9th July, 1967 and had two sons. Elenor married Ron Peach on 2nd April 1970 and had two daughters – Elenor kindly donated the films to ACMI. Elise and Charles were happily married more than 50 years, until he passed away in 1993. These films remain testament to a happy and hard-working family from Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs.

This home movie collection was donated to ACMI by the filmmaker’s daughter, Elenor Peach.