Towards the end of last year we found an old film in the Archives which, when we took a whiff, found it was badly affected by deacetylation, or vinegar syndrome which, if left untreated, would simply progress, faster and faster, until the entire film was destroyed.
We had it digitised as soon as we could (thank you Wheldon, at EZDigital) and discovered the salvaged film was ‘The Marist Way’, produced in Melbourne in 1954, 67 years ago.
It shows children taking lessons - indoors and out, in science labs, libraries, and in the dining hall. There's also a group of cadets who look a little bit too young to be holding rifles, yet there they are!
Earlier this year we showed it to Brother Noel Hickey, who spent a great deal of time going through it and returned with a wonderful list identifying all of the Marist Schools and Colleges around Australia, the Solomon Islands and Bougainville, and many of the Brothers featured! In his incredible 96 years, he’s been to all of them and knew all of those people! He also remembered the film when it first came out and, incredibly, the music which went along with it - Boccherini’s Minuet.
So we added the music to the film and have uploaded it to YouTube for anyone who wants to see it! We’ve trimmed the last two minutes as it is impossible to see anything but the damaged film.
You can see it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcxWoiqDdCU
Brother Noel's timings are below. (These are also under the clip and work as links - click the time for what you want to see and it will jump straight to it.)
0:00:30 Brother Evin (Taught at Newman College and Marcellin College, Camberwell, Vic)
0:01:06 Br Romulus Lyons (tennis coach)
0:01:15 Br Eustace Flynn in chemistry laboratory
0:01:26 Br John Driscoll Technical Dept, Bendigo, Vic
0:01:41 Br Aidan Smith at the Farm Assumption College, Kilmore, Vic. Perhaps Marist Brothers, Mount Gambier, SA (or Bougainville)
0:01:50 Missionary Brothers in Tenaru, Solomon Islands. Note the fence made of interlocking Marsden matting, used for making an airstrip. Brought in by the Americans.
0:01:53 St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, NSW. Statue of Mary Mother of God at the top of the tower, Marcellin Champagnat.
0:02:00 Marcelling Champagnat at the seminary, discussing the possible formation of the Society of Mary.
0:02:26 A Brother teaching. Marcellin on the right.
0:02:10 Marcellin and his companions being ordained Priests.
0:02:15 Marcellin
0:02:21 Marcellin with his younger Brothers
0:02:42 Chapel at Marcellin College, Camberwell. 4. Eustace Flynn, 6. Ken Preston (died 2019), 8. Peter Tilley.
0:02:57 Mass in (above) Chapel
0:03:16 4. Ken Preston
0:03:33 Ken Preston and Peter Tilley
0:03:43 Chapel, Newman University College, Melbourne.
0:03:51 Peter Tilley handyman
0:03:56 Peter Tilley mowing, Camberwell.
0:03:58 Br Frank Hopkins, Geometry
0:04:16 Students in Chemistry lab, North Fitzroy, Vic, with Br Methodius Murphy
0:04:21 Unidentified probably, Bendigo, Vic
0:04:30 Br Abel Driscoll certainly, Bendigo, Vic
0:04:36 Tractor maybe Br Aiden Smith again
0:04:53 Chapel at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, NSW
0:05:06 Again St Joseph's College
0:05:07 Br Ludovic Bourke at a meeting of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin in Camberwell, Vic
0:05:11 Sacred Heart College, Somerton Park, SA. Brs Godwin Ryan and Damian Willis
0:05:14 Br Damian Willis and students
0:05:25 Br Jordan Redden and gymnast at Sacred Heart College, Somerton Park, SA
0:05:30 Probably Brother Dominus Hogan, starting a race at Sacred Heart College, Somerton Park
0:05:33 Br Romulus Lyons
0:05:44 Br Othmar Weldon, St Joseph's College Rowing Club, Hunters Hill, NSW
0:05:46 St Joseph's College Rowing Club
0:05:51 Handball, possibly at St Ildephonsus College, New Norcia
0:05:58 Tennis at Assumption College, Kilmore, Vic
0:06:03 Cadets probably Sacred Heart College, Somerton Park, SA
0:06:09 Br Romuald O'Brien and Marist Brothers' Band, Bendigo, Vic.
0:06:13 Boarders at dinner possibly Sacred Heart, Somerton Park, SA
0:06:32 St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, NSW
0:06:41 Paringa Hall, Sacred Heart College, Somerton Park, SA
0:06:44 Assumption College, Kilmore, Vic
0:06:50 St Ildephonsus College, New Norcia, WA
0:06:52 Ardmara Marcellin College, Camberwell, Vic