Melbourne City 1931

Melbourne City 1931

[@ianwilliamson531]

Further to my previous note, below, FW Thring, who produced this movie, was notable Australian for his major contributions to the development of early Australian Cinema: He opened the Paramount Theatre in Bourke St in 1915 which later became The Lyceum. He became managing director of J. C. Williamson's Films in 1918, which eventually merged to become Hoyts in 1926. Thring was also responsible for introduction of sound equipment to make Australian “Talkies” - one of the first of which is this Film of Melbourne.

[@adriancole3165]

And the father of Frank Thring (jnr). But that's a whole new story in itself!

[@darrenjray]

This narrator has a lovely speaking voice. I love the way he enunciates words like 'foliage', 'architecture', 'library', 'Canberra' and 'Australia'.

[@lesleywilliams1210]

I love that it isn't a completely flawless narration. Perhaps recorded in a single take.

[@darrenjray]

@@lesleywilliams1210 Agreed.

[@MrPobbie]

Frank Thring. We was quite famous: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Thring

[@muppetsoup5388]

@@MrPobbie narrator isn't Frank Thring, he would've only been 5 or 6 when this was made

[@bobobibi7026]

Spectacular buildings of such high craftsmanship and quality - and made in a time of horse and cart! And no electricity!! Just amazing! Given cameras were around in the 1850's there must be loads of photos of the construction of these magnificent buildings. And there must be loads of peoples who's great grandparents worked on these buildings and proudly shared stories. So...where are the photos and the stories.....

[@eddiesmoothence6080]

Still waiting myself…. From dublin. Its the same language all over the world. You cannot unsee it.

[@RaveDave871]

ENOUGH OF YA MUDFLOOD SH*T ALREADY ! 😠😡🤬

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

F off with ya mudflood bs. #traitor

[@jesusisking8502]

Those of us who are awake know exactly.

[@wellworn23]

I find Parliament House in Spring St absolutely spectacular. However they did it, they were very clever indeed.

[@rajivmurkejee7498]

While Melbourne now is much bigger ( 5 million vs 1 million ) not many of the sights featured have vanished : The original Wilson Hall at Melbourne University burnt down The Foundation Tree in the Botanic gardens died off The Tan around the Botanic Gardens has became a running track( rather than an equestrian track ) There would have been a lot of pretty slummy buildings just out of camera range when this was filmed -say where Southbank and Docklands now are Of course a lot of fine heritage buildings (say in Collins St and St Kilda Rd) are now also gone

[@mylesnic]

LIVED IN MELB 52 YEARS, BUT THIS OLD SCHOOL I LOVE.THX

[@maiwelsh8025]

It would have been so awesome if melbourne kept its all beautiful architecture and kept building more amazing in this style to make it a really European looking city I think architecture has deteriorated so much over the years

[@ianwilliamson531]

Fascinating from several points of view: FW Thring was father of actor Frank Thring, a star of Hollywood films including Ben-Hur (1959) and The Vikings (1958) - also the Australian film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). The narrator speaks of the King and Queen as having driven down St Kilda Rd and of His Majesty the King, opening the first Australian Parliament. To be correct, he should have said ‘As Duke of York…‘. He also claims that the State Library’s concrete dome is the largest in the world - it wasn’t - because at 142 ft, the Pantheon in Rome is nearly 2000 years older and 28 ft wider. “Finest city in the British Empire” was another dubious claim, although at the time, 1930 - and up until the 1956 Olympics - it probably was the largest city of Victorian era architecture in the world.

[@Gator1699]

My Grandfather cooked for the Queen in 56 Olympics The Melbourne Club and my father in law Harold Baigent Actor check him out.🐊

[@swimminlane3566]

the once beautiful boulevard that was St.kilda road

[@paulohara8967]

What a lovely tree lined boulevard, and so wide. Hardly recognizable today with all the clutter.

[@Prieze868]

They demolished all the beautiful homes as a few left a victorian mansion with the turret called The in anaesthesia surgeon College but there's not many left and it was beautiful homes and then all just glass and concrete Towers

[@3800TURBO]

Its still there. Still the 3 large lanes. Just so many cars now. The trees are still there. Its just all in the shadows of progress.

[@maiwelsh8025]

I think st Kilda road is still really pretty with the huge trees forming a canopy over the streets

[@lesgriffiths8523]

The many who claim that there was nothing in Australia until post War immigration was in full swing, should look again at this video of Melbourne with its grand buildings and boulevards,......a lasting legacy of its stone masons, its builders and architects . Les Griffiths

[@Peter-wd2ho]

Thank you for saying this. The modern narrative is that this land was some sort of backwater or wasteland before then. Rather it had amazing institutions, great work ethic and enormous prosperity. If not, why did everyone come here?!

[@lesgriffiths8523]

@@Peter-wd2ho Indeed Peter. Why did so many chose to make their home here? And in the case of Melbourne in particular, we are all fortunate that many from postwar Southern Europe came to this Grand old lady of the South, bringing with them their food culture and their inherent instinct for hard work. And I am a North Queenslander. Les Griffiths

[@Jimmy911ism]

Kind of *was* nothing. Film mostly looks like it was shot in the woods!

[@1greenMitsi]

amazing how beautiful melbourne once was

[@michaelslocum9537]

My o My, how our city fathers and motor vehicles have 'decimated' this fair city!

[@cherylpurdue888]

I come from Melbourne ,been on the old trams.

[@suzegiljer3206]

This should be retraced and filmed in colour.It would be sensational

[@muzza9338]

Wow Gezza, I'm gobsmacked! That footage is amazing! I'd give anything to go back in time to the age when Australia was Australia.... Long before we became the land of woke and honey....

You mean before it was invaded?

[@muzza9338]

@ and then some!

[@muzza9338]

@ I'm pretty sure I do my friend,.. certain government policies were changed which affected migration laws from that time fourth

[@babyryerye2123]

@ no, when it was still a molten lava globe inside the solar system

[@RGC198]

Wow!! Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. My dad actually first visited Melbourne from his home in Sydney back in 1938. I am presuming that he would have seen Melbourne much like this video.

[@king...675]

when did he die?

[@RGC198]

@@king...675 Early 1978.

[@king...675]

@@RGC198 damn how old was he?

[@CC3193]

The Henley-on-Yarra regattas looked & sounded like an incredible annual event. What a shame they stopped.

[@nickbroadhurst2050]

I used to row the Yarra, competitively. It brings memories. Of the regatta as well. I did not know it had stopped. Pity.

[@CowboyJojosAdventures]

great video, thank you for sharing!

[@ctwentysevenj6531]

Fantastic!

[@osocool1too]

Great video....showing my home city as it was, and still is. Love it 👍🤩

[@jena.alexia]

I wish time travel were possible. I'd love to have seen this in real life.

[@pavementpounder7502]

Good thing we've preserved a lot of old buildings, though many are sadly gone, so we practically can.

[@alasdairbaird7303]

99 feet wide streets, Robert Hoddle might not have envisioned the present expansion. Vires Acquirit Eundo.

[@slinky3123]

Jean Brinson uhhhhh haven’t u seen 2034 July 13th yet? They made one

[@TheNomad2727]

Id reckon that ALL the shops would have closed around 5pm though.... Even in the city.... I think the pubs even closed at 6pm

[@deekaye25]

@@TheNomad2727 There was the 6 o'clock swill at hotels/pubs. This was the mad dash by workers to get to their watering hole after work at 5pm (or thereabouts) and consume as much booze as possible (generally beer) before closing time at 6pm! The idea was to curb the drinking/inebriation culture among the male population by shutting pub doors very early in the day. Prior to this, most pubs closed by 11:30pm. However, patrons generally consumed as much beer in one hour, as they would drinking slowly over the course of the evening to the later closing time! Many patrons also drove home after the pubs closed causing car crashes, injuries, etc. Eventually, pub closing hours were extended once again. Clearly the Australian temperance experiment failed in this case!

[@fordlandau]

Once a graceful city.

[@adrianjackson2696]

It still is !!

[@fordlandau]

@@adrianjackson2696 ruined by lack of infrastructure and terrible roads; public transport neglects.

[@adrianjackson2696]

@@fordlandau - No you are incorrect. I live 5km from the CBD and my ancestors have live in Melbourne and Victoria since the 1850's. Melbourne has the most extensive tram network in the worlds and many wide roads and freeways. Many radiating train lines too for commuters. People still want to live in greater Melbourne and in 20 years time Melbourne will be larger than Sydney.

[@TheSunnybunny2000]

FUCK WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR BEAUTIFUL WORLD

[@devileddoll]

These people were lucky enough to be around when Phar Lap was racing in Melbourne.

[@faiztalal6904]

I was hoping to live in this time

[@chloebyrnes9508]

I was born there in 1941 it was wonderful then snd not a pair of jeans or slacks anywhere Marilyn.

[@capitainebonhomme1609]

Wow ! Amazing video ! Thank you for posting !❤

[@rubinsteve1]

must visit the Botanical gardens, have not been there for yrs, its still great now.

[@mebeasensei]

Thank you.

[@firepower287]

I remember those days like it was yesterday, Melbourne was an entirely different world back then.

[@graemeloyer]

Our forefathers had such foresight from 1860 to 1900 to build such magnificent buildings. Unfortunately many, many superb buildings and street verandahs were DEMOLISHED between 1953 to 1980 to the shame of Melbourne. It could have been truly the 'Paris of the South', but ended up as a mish-mash of old and new monstrosities of skyscrapers of plain steel and glass. It's too late now. The heritage laws came too late!

[@gdon12987]

Sounds like it was narrated by Young Mr Grace.

[@lesgriffiths8523]

He did very well.... Les Griffiths

[@charlesbrain3872]

Frank Thring senior. His son jnr was a funny queeny bloke in John Farnham “pressure”

[@nicholasgeorge1384]

These days Melbourne is a nightmare to get around .

[@realaussiemale567]

Ask yourselves this, if Victoria’s Parliament House was opened in 1856, who built it? There were no multi storey level cranes or cranes capable of lifting the granite pieces in to place with such precision. There wasn’t that many stone masons working in Victoria, let alone Australia, at that time! So who built all the large, multi storey building that were in Melbourne at that time?

[@realaussiemale567]

If you drive down St.Kilda rd now it’s nothing like you see in this film. Too much room for bicycles & parking is frighteningly expensive. It’s 01.01.2024 today.

[@RachaelClag]

bring back the Alexandra horse riding 'canter' track!

[@GlennDavey]

Ohhh yehhhhh, I would go there and canter my arse off. I wish I had a horse. Oh well, back to playing Red Dead Redemption 2...

[@montecarlo1651]

It's still here, called The Tan and used by runners these days. Quite the institution amongst the running/jogging fraternity.

[@collectivesartori]

Got to love the horse powered mowers 😂

[@imranbacha]

hey mate ..where do you find such videos ..i am curious..?

[@sho2191]

i miss melbourne heapssss :'(

[@stumarston6812]

2:31 Must have been back in about '93 that a pigeon once crapped on my shoulder right on those very steps.

[@mishakolomoicev9701]

Them was da daze. When st. Kilda Malvern Hawthorn Brunsavick & Footisgray, where the outer suburbs.

[@vt1940]

This is only part of "Living Melbourne" (National Archives - Canberra) I am fortunate to have the Original Film on VHS which I Burned to CD along with "Living Ballarat" also a Great Look into early Victoria. On the Ballarat Movie it end with early advent of Colour.

[@Gezza1967]

VIVIAN THOMAS cool, please upload the entire video.

[@vt1940]

@@Gezza1967 Unfortunately National Film & Sound Archives have Copywright on this and downloading is Illegal. You can view both of the Movies by Logging into NFSA in Canberra. My Original was purchased Years ago Legally as I have checked NFSA so I can have this in my possession.

[@vt1940]

@@Gezza1967 Actually someone has put Living Ballarat 1901-1941 illegally on KZbin. Grab a copy while you can.

[@Gezza1967]

VIVIAN THOMAS, interesting read here regarding NSFA not having copyright on most titles. www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/using-collection/copyright

[@Gezza1967]

“The NFSA rarely owns copyright in works in the national collection”. Over the years I’ve received many thank you messages regarding uploading videos people have been searching for many years. The term ‘Copyright’ gets a little overused, it’s really there in most cases to stop piracy for $$$ reasons. Unfortunately some people go way overboard. Example I put 10 seconds of a virtually unknown 1990 Melbourne movie up on KZbin and 5 yrs later the producer of the movie gave me a copyright strike through KZbin. He could’ve just sent me a message or just write a comment to take it down. Reality is it didn’t make an ounce of difference being on KZbin or not.

[@hughrblackwell]

I lived on Hoddle St and then in Westgarth. Now too noisy, busy and obsessed with itself.

[@Joshua-jj4xn]

No you didn't

[@paulmaccann4509]

streets 99 ft wide, anybody looking into numbers might find this of some interest. all is numbers.

[@malcolmcanning9553]

Tell me. I need to know

[@MrPgrawe]

@@malcolmcanning9553 Robert Hoddle designed the main streets of Melbourne (Collins, Bourke, etc.) to be 3 chains wide so that a six-span of horses could do a u-turn without having to back up. That was applied to St Kilda Rd as well.

[@malcolmcanning9553]

@@MrPgrawe went to most capitals in Australia . looking for mud flooded building's.. as used to own 3 in UK ..it's the same architecture in Australia. .but the time factor doesn't make sense with the narrative.67 yrs old now something isn't right.

[@RaveDave871]

ENOUGH OF YA MUDFLOOD SH*T ALREADY! 👎👎👎👎

[@Vinnie101a]

And now, in August 2020, under Coronavirus Stage 4 lockdown, no cars at all on these busy streets. Hope we never see this again.

[@babyryerye2123]

jokes on you, we still lockdown

[@Vinnie101a]

@@babyryerye2123 : OK! I’ll try again! Hope we are not locked down again/still in October 2022.

[@adrianjackson2696]

Still the worlds most livable city.

[@adrianjackson2696]

Melbourne is great and my ancestors have lived here since the 1850's. I live in a picturesque and trendy suburb 5 km from the CBD.

[@safstar0184]

That’s all a hoax called controller

[@apleknight411]

Cries, the good old days

[@donaldversace9630]

Rubbish

[@adrianjackson2696]

@@donaldversace9630 - Where do you live?

[@destinyborealis3981]

Hi @gezza1967 are you able to tell me who owns this archive footage? I would like to enquire about it's use for a documentary. Thanks!

[@Gezza1967]

G’day Destiny, I hired the vhs tape from a public library about 15 yrs ago. You can’t hire it out now. It would have been a government production. Can’t help you regarding copyright details, I doubt anyone purchased the copyright as it’s never been on sale. Cheers Gezza

[@goldendereck2726]

Hi, I would like to get the license of this video for commercial event use if possible? please let me know. Thanks!

[@Gezza1967]

Golden Dereck not my copyright sorry, possibly NSFA?

[@goldendereck2726]

Hi there, who is NSFA? Thanks!

[@Gezza1967]

National Film & sound archives

[@Gezza1967]

I think?

[@goldendereck2726]

cheers!!

[@Paisly17]

All deceased now😢

[@djizzah]

not bad, but the seventies were the golden age here, monaros, chargers, winfield ciggies, sharpies, kevin bartlett, skyhooks, best age ever

[@hypercomms2001]

I think FW Thring, was Frank Thring's father....

[@twentyrothmans7308]

He was.

[@brucewilliams8714]

@@twentyrothmans7308 F. W. Thring owned and operated the Princess Theatre, Spring Street, during the 1930s.

[@chowturtlezpabus]

My grandparents weren’t even born yet!

[@isis082008]

the adss are ridiculouse, they dont show u a price and you have to wait hours for a price and watch boring people saying thanku, all without a price

[@79series]

Wow no graffiti.

[@chrisF351]

Then Rex Banner pops out " I'll get you beer baron" "No you won't" "Yes...i will" "Oooooh"

[@jecos1966]

What was Melbourne's Population in 1931?

[@jecos1966]

@Lock&Load 77 So

[@jecos1966]

@Lock&Load 77 Fuck off you Sydneysider

[@jecos1966]

@Lock&Load 77 still a great City or maybe you hate the state Government

[@montecarlo1651]

It was over 600,000 in 1900 and the nation was 6 million during WW2, so my guess would be about a million in 1931. Given the way the city was laid out, probably a good size, not too crowded.

[@scana1979]

Just under 1 million, which it reached in 1934.

[@anthonywalsh785]

directed by fw thring.

[@brandonlee1330]

See name thring start that's Frank Fring as we all remember him he born in a theatre it was once said ,that's his father's name they owned thertres actors ,remember him being villain skippy ,king Moomba strange man Frank Fring

[@malcolmcanning9553]

Who built the beautiful architecture . The tartarian . not some convict ... with a horse

[@donaldversace9630]

Spot on

[@RaveDave871]

ENOUGH OF YA MUDFLOOD SH*T ALREADY! 😠😡🤬

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

F off with ya tartarian bullshit.

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

our forefathers built it.. you nutjob 🤠

[@kentlandzintoba]

Hasn't changed a bit

[@adamstarr9369]

Are we to believe that only 30years after the first house was built, with horse and carts, no modern machinery or tools and a tiny population, MULTIPLE world class buildings and structures with the finest architectural design and stonework known to man was just thrown together by locals, convicts and a few bags of concrete?

[@donaldversace9630]

Tartaria

[@graemebdh2172]

It is amazing but true. We have the enormous quantities of gold taken from Ballarat and Bendigo to thank for it - riches that made marvellous Melbourne along with a far-sighted leadership that built quality to last, not like the many poor quality towers that are constructed today and will be ready to be recycled in 50 years.

[@adamstarr9369]

@@graemebdh2172 gold and riches didn't build these enormous, beautiful buildings... People did. The hand-me-downs we inherited from our Tartarian ancestors are still standing today, the cathedrals and government buildings mostly. We built our crap around it and nothing built from this early settlement lasted besides these buildings that were already there.

[@baronvonbiscuits6845]

@@adamstarr9369 When did these tartarians build these buildings, what did they look like and where did they go?

[@adamstarr9369]

@@baronvonbiscuits6845 Search 'Tartaria' It's literally a wonderful rabbit hole to fall into. Question everything you know.

[@jayh9529]

Tartarian architecture

[@FruityFruitbat]

Nonsense!

[@RaveDave871]

ENOUGH OF YA MUDFLOOD SH*T ALREADY ! 😠😡🤬

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

Jay H 🤠 you’ve been gaslit.

[@paulb562]

hello Steven. I mean Australis. is very ancient. NZ. tas. have. A good Day. Paul.

[@pisstinpete4700]

Great images but that fiddle player,crikey!

[@jayh9529]

They were already there

[@JamesHawkeYouTube]

The truth is that these grand ornate buildings and well-established old-growth Botanic Gardens could not have been conceived and executed by the handful of people present in an early outpost and "convict settlement". History has been a lie.

[@benjaminmcintosh857]

What are you supposing? Of course others immigrated

[@FruityFruitbat]

Bullshit.

[@RaveDave871]

ENOUGH OF THAT MUDFLOOD SH*T ALREADY ! 👎👎👎👎

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

F off with ya mudflood bs #gaslit

[@theSuicideBooth]

When Melbourne was White

[@samgovars9544]

Melbourne is OLD WORLD. History is laughable. They built that EXHIBITION centre in 1 year. ONE YEAR. They cant even build ugly concrete buildings that quickly but they could do that. Take FOUNDED to actually mean FOUND

[@jesusisking8502]

Try building a crappy 3 bedroom house that doesn't have a multitude of problems these days. It is beyond us to do that with all our "technology" This history is laughable and spit out your coffee kinda stuff.

[@Krsna5]

The music background is depressing, terrible, I could not watch it all because of the crap music!!

[@zodiacstorm]

how about some gangsta rap? would that suit you better? philistine.

[@richardkocksworthy8423]

Guy can hardly believe the lies Struggles to get the worlds out! 🤣🤣🤣. Gotta be Tartarian buildings

[@richardkocksworthy8423]

Words

[@michellenadiamiller]

Exactly right.

[@donaldversace9630]

Spot on. Master bricklayers.Not the rubbish built today

[@FruityFruitbat]

Go away. :/

[@RaveDave871]

ENOUGH OF YA MUDFLOOD SH*T ALREADY ! 😳🤯

[@paulb562]

buildings. look. older. 1850s. build. 1850s????? building. started 1950s. not. before. 1950s. hello

[@osocool1too]

Paul B how do you mean mate ? 1950s ?? This was recorded in 1931 and refers to Melbournes buildings in the 1850s such as the state library and Parliament House , Melbourne Uni etc...

[@reverseuniverse2559]

So population started in 1950 then Paul?

[@richardfinlayson1524]

1950 s what are you talking about/

[@donaldversace9630]

Tartarian old world Buildings.

[@schwayzejohnson8866]

Some of those buildings are a thousand years old easy

[@FruityFruitbat]

No :/

[@Jonesay73]

Melbourne then is a pocket of survival from the pre flood world. Architecture built to harness free energy. Buildings with multiple floors below ground level with external windows n doors now bricked up. But supposibly built by convicts using horse n buggy.

[@FruityFruitbat]

@@Jonesay73 What bullshit.

[@RaveDave871]

ENOUGH OF YA MUDFLOOD SH*T ALREADY ! 😠😡🤬

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

Foff with ya mudflood shit