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Yasmin McDonald
23 May 18
Archives
Attribution-NonCommercial CC BY-NC
Council Minutes and Papers
On the 23rd May 2018 Scotch College had the pleasure of accepting an archival donation titled ‘The Max Evans Collection’, honoring, the donation with a morning tea at the Scotch College Heritage Centre based in Memorial Hall, Shenton Road, Swanbourne.
The occasion was attend by:
* Max Evans OBE (donor and Old Scotch Collegian/Past Student)
* Mr Richard Evans (donor and Old Scotch Collegian/Past Student)
* Headmaster Dr Alec O’Connell
* Member of the OSC (Old Scotch Collegians Committee) Mr Michael Fitch
* President OSC Mr Michael Silbert
* Mr Ian Saggers (Old Scotch Collegian, past Teacher, Deputy Headmaster, Register, Coach)
* The Evan’s Family and Friends. Barbara Evans (Max’s wife), Felicity Evans (Max’s daughter), Richard Evans (Max’s son)
* Fellow classmates including Old Scotch Collegian and school friend of Max, Mr David Purser OSC1949 and Mr Mervyn Matthews OSC1946
The Archival donation consisted of a collection of twenty-seven short films from 1955 to 1986, including footage displaying themes of Sport, Boy Scouts, Travel and Family events. The films were directly linked to the College, often taken on campus, including Athletics Carnivals at Perry Lakes and The Scotch College Playing Fields, Swimming Carnivals at Beatty Park and the Scotch College pool, Football matches, Hockey matches played at the Royal Show grounds, Head of the River, Junior School Events, Rottnest Camp, Public Schools Association (PSA) matches, Scout Camp, Swimming lessons, Chapel services and imagery of Building and Grounds as well as Lake Claremont.
Max Evans MBE OSC1948 was a self-taught home film maker, purchasing “his first camera in 1954 to film his running technique” [Richard Evans 2018]. Max started on 8mm and then moving onto Super 8 in 1965, “he loved shooting sports and had a knack for following the action zooming in and out, and most importantly keeping everything in focus” Richard Evans 2018. Max’s framing, zoom and length of shots are extremely professional, often editing all on camera and working to a documentary style. Max would also re-edit at home by splicing and joining films together to make longer films, joining similar themes to different rolls.
The donation includes footage of the 1954 Scotch College Scout Troop marching to watch the Queen, drive through Kings Park during her Royal visit. Max’s love of Scouts began at the Subiaco Scout Hall in the early 1940s, where “he came home and told his mother Joyce Evans, a single mother, one day that he wanted to join the Scouts. She said if he joined it he had to stick with it!” [Richard Evans 2018]. Scouts left a lasting impression on Max as he rose up through the ranks in his lifetime implementing a Scout program at Scotch College, becoming Chief Commissioner of Scouts in Western Australia for nine years during the 1960s, and ultimately being awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) in 1972 by the Queen for service to community and Scouts.
Max’s followed, childhood friend and fellow Subiaco Scout, Mervyn Matthews OSC1946 to Scotch College in 1943, graduating in 1948. His achievements at the College are extensive, including, 1947 Cadets Captain and Sergeant, Senior Prefect, Vice Captain, Reporter Staff, member of the Cricket Committee, member of the Cricket Team, member of the Hockey Team from 1947 to 1948, member of the Tennis team, member of the Athletics team from 1943 to 1948, member of the 1948 inter-school debating team, Scout Master, Leaving Certificate completion and member of the Boarders Entertainment Committee.
Max continued to seize opportunities throughout his working life, managing partner of a top tier accounting firm ‘Hendry, Rae and Court’, President the Old Scotch Collegians from 1968 to 1969, Life Governor of the Scotch College Council, Chief Commissioner for Western Australia from 1967 to 1976, represented the Liberal Party in the Legislative Council of Western Australia from 1986 to 2001, served as a government Finance Minister under Richard Court from 1993 to 1999, and also participated in the State Athletics Team from 1951 to 1955, winning the state 220-yard champion twice and also winning a gold medal for the Australian Championships relay. Max has humbly lives by the anthem of “That’s just life” [Max Evans 2018] in his every day.
Richard Evans 2018: Direct quotes and recollections of discovering the film:
“In October last year I was coming home to spend time with him while he underwent his immunotherapy treatment for Stage four Metastasised Melanoma Cancer. Dad said to me he would like to look at his old super 8 movies. But he said he wasn’t sure if his projector was working. I decided to look to buy on in the US before I left as I thought it wouldn’t be very easy to get his repaired. While I was searching online for projectors I noticed that there was a new Super 8 to Digital Video converter. I managed to find a store that had one in New York the day before I flew out. It only cost $500 and is very small and simple to use.
I arrived back in Perth and started pulling the rolls and rolls of films out from under the staircase. There were over 50 rolls of film many of them very large rolls.
I started digitising them and was amazed by the HD quality of the original films and new video. Dad was thrilled to see these films that he had filmed over 65 years ago and many he wouldn’t have seen for over 50 years. It was literally like seeing his whole life flash before his eyes. Shortly after I got back he has several week long stays in hospital to treat the side effects of the cancer treatment. I set the machine up in his hospital room and spent many hours digitising the films and showing them to him as the cane 'hit off the presses'.
After two months of transferring the films we finally finished them all. It turned out to be over eighteen hours of footage from 1954 to 1986.
By a wonderful coincidence shortly after I finished the films dad was invited to both an Athletics and 'Hendry, Rae and Court' Reunions. At both reunions the attendees got to see themselves in films that I am sure they had never seen before. Many of them at the prime of their life, competing and wining national titles in technicolor!
Another Old Scotch Collegian Gary McIntosh told me that a brief glimpse of his mother at the House Athletics Carnival was the only movie he has of her. He was so grateful that he could show it to his children who had never met her.
Dad has been so moved seeing the films and people’s reactions. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to do this while he is still alive and enjoy the films together. Dad wants as many people to see the films as possible and hopes they bring them many happy memories of seeing Perth and Western Australia through the years.
I now see where I got my love of films and story-telling from” Richard Evans 2018.
Condition: Good
Quantity: 1 x hi-resolution scan