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Below if a story which appeared in the Bendigo Advertiser after the discovery of a film of Sir John Quick speaking at a celebration of the 31st Anniversary of the first Australian Parliament. The film is believed to be 3 and a half minutes in length and is the only known footage of Quick speaking. The picture shown here, which also appeared in the Advertiser, shows Sir John at the same event.
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| Saturday, November 25, 2000 |
Window of time re-opened |
| By Peter Kennedy |
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THE discovery of rare footage of Bendigo's Sir John Quick
has been hailed as one of the most exciting historical finds in
recent times. The film, believed to be the only footage of Sir
John Quick speaking, was located by researchers working
on a submission to Bendigo's Federation Exhibition. The
Making of a Nation Federation exhibition will be housed in
the Old Post Office building on Pall Mall. The film, believed
to have been shot in 1932, shortly before Sir John's death,
lasts for about three and a half minutes and includes more
than six members of the first Australian Federal Parliament,
and an elderly Sir John Quick, who died in 1932, aged 80.
The group had gathered in Melbourne on May 9, 1932, to
commemorate the 31st anniversary of the first Australian
parliament. The meeting was chaired by Sir John, and
included Tasmanian King O'Malley, West Australia's J.M.
Fowler, former senator J.H. Keating, Reverend Ronald, and
Joseph Cook, a former Prime Minister. After Australia's first
parliamentarians are introduced to the camera, Sir John
Quick makes his speech, providing a priceless look back in
time to the nation's beginnings, and the thoughts of the
Bendigo man who played such a significant role in its
development. City of Greater Bendigo information
technology executive manager, Bruce Winzar, said he was
aware of the film's existence, but did not know any other
details. ``I think I would like to see it first, but if it's significant
in the context of the Federation debate... I think it's
invaluable. ``If we could own it, and it was at reasonable
cost, then I think we would,'' he said. Media Australia
director Geoff Russell said he hoped to include the historic
film in the Federation exhibition for all of Bendigo to share,
should his company win the tender to produce the
multimedia component of the museum. ``It was a sensational
find when we uncovered it, and we are hoping to put it on
show if we get the job,'' he said.
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| Story provided by the Bendigo Advertiser. |
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