Your Family Story

29/08/2022

The mechanic of the family…
Every family has the tinkerer, the one who wants to understand how things work. This little lad is starting early on his Dad’s scooter in their Melbourne backyard…

23/08/2022

Post-war Port Melbourne…
A wonderful moment in time captured by a keen amateur photographer, just after the end of World War II, with an American battleship visiting Port Melbourne for some well-deserved R&R. We have no date for the photo, but service records for the USS New Jersey show she made a port visit to Melbourne in the wake of the Japanese surrender in 1945. Whether the hundreds, or possibly thousands of soldiers on the quay are Australian soldiers being repatriated after service in the Pacific theatre, or US Marines on run ashore we are not sure but what an incredible time-capsule this photo is…

18/08/2022

The road trip…
Could there be a more quintessentially Australian thing than a long road trip in a Ute?
We don’t have a date for this fabulous image, but judging by the model of the car and the caravan we’re guessing the mid 1950s. We’re pretty sure of the location though, just up the road from us at the Glasshouse Mountains with Mt Tibrogargan visible in the background. We wonder where the Melbourne-based couple who captured this moment were heading - right to the tip of the Cape, or maybe just to Noosa…?

19/07/2022

Picnic at hanging rock…
Not quite, but near enough for several generations of this family enjoying a day out in the bush. Although the photo was taken in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s the older lady on the left is appears to be dressed for an earlier period…

12/07/2022

Every family has a story…
One of the most common comments we hear is “Our family doesn’t have any really good stories to tell!”
The truth is that they are there but you just haven’t heard them yet!
That’s why our exploratory filming sessions are so good for bringing out stories. We ask you to get some key family members together, dig out some old photos and film the conversations that ensue. It’s amazing just how many stories come to light and can form the basis for our more in-depth interviews. It’s just $250 to engage in an exploratory filming session, and if there really are no interesting stories you can leave it there… but we know you won’t be able to…

05/07/2022

When a thousand words simply isn’t enough…
This is one of those timeless photos that suggests so much. These sartorial members of the Greatest generation are clearly enjoying their evening at one of Melbourne’s taverns and have posed for a fabulously composed professional photo. The image tells us much, but also makes us want to know more. Who are these people? Where exactly are they? We’re they celebrating something special? Are the party at the start or the end of their evening? Luckily, we know a little about this image, but what if we didn’t?
You will have photos in your family archives that are just as fabulous as this but do you have the provenance? Do you have the story, and how do you make sure that knowledge is passed on? That’s where we can help…

05/07/2022

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html

This New York Times article from 2013 still resonates today, perhaps even more in light of the pandemic.
Family stories do matter and they deserve to be preserved...

Studies indicate that children learn resilience when they hear what their relatives before them have faced.

30/06/2022

Before or after…
We know that your family photo archives will have been through a lot across the generations. They might have survived decades stored in a dusty attic or beneath the house and now bed a little TLC to look their best in your digital documentary time-capsule. We can offer a full restoration service, including colourising in certain circumstances, and, should you want to protect them from further harm, can recommend some exceptional album and archival storage suppliers here in Australia. Which version do you prefer…

27/06/2022

Take a trip down memory lane…
During our Exploratory Filming Sessions, we record you delving deep into your family photo archives and reminiscing about the people and places those images represent. The stories you remember help to frame the questions for our in-depth interviews and we use the footage gathered as B-roll in your full length documentary stories. At just $250, it’s the perfect way to begin telling your family story…

24/06/2022

Wedding memories federation style…
A wonderful family photo from a wedding we believe took place in Geelong in 1900. We are privileged to see incredible family heirlooms like this during the research phase of each family story. Sometimes they need a little tlc from our restoration team, but the stories they hold are what make them priceless. Imagine the number of lives the people in this small group touched over the intervening 120 years…

23/06/2022

Are your family photos this organised…
The John Oxley library at the has over 400,000 original photographs in its archives stretching back across Queensland’s history. Whilst that doesn’t sound a huge number in the digital age, you have remember that most of those images are in negative format, so that’s equivalent to over 16,000 rolls of 24 exposure film or 33,000 rolls of 12 exposure film or a heck of a lot of dry plate glass! A bit more than the average shoebox full of prints most families retain in the attic or the back of a closet!
This is Queensland’s history, but your family history is just as precious, and that’s why our exploratory filming sessions always include a rummage through your family photo archives…

22/06/2022

Don’t leave it too late…
Every day that goes by increases the chances that some of your precious family stories could be lost forever.
We create unique documentaries that combine in-depth interviews with historic family photos and research material that will enable future generations to see and hear stories from those who actually lived through them…