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Clip description
A procession of 500 participants (both men and women) ride the streets of Townsville to start the rodeo to be held at nearby Mt St John. A brass band marches and crowds gather to watch the parade. Men standing on the porch of McKimmons Historic Corner wave to the camera below. A rider tips his hat to the camera. Intertitles feature in this clip.
Curator’s notes
The intertitles aim to convey the experience of being at the parade, rather than simply present factual information. The first slide hypes the occasion, claiming it is 'probably the greatest procession of horses and horsemen ever seen in the streets of an Australian city’. 'Thousands of visitors’ take advantage of 'every vantage point’ – and the images do not contradict these claims. An intertitle at the start claims that this event attracted over 15,000 spectators – roughly half of Townsville’s population at the time.
The shuddering of the image in the frame at the end of this clip is caused by the film print’s age and condition. Deterioration over time can cause film to shrink. When it is put through a printing machine or projector, the sprocket holes do not align with the teeth on the projector, causing the frame line to shift and consequently presenting an unstable image.
