Australian Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies had a great seat at the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, in Westminster Abbey.
Menzies was known for making home movies of his travels, and on this occasion, he took his 16mm film camera and shot some great colour footage of the ceremony.
His 3-minute film captures Queen Elizabeth II arriving at Westminster Abbey in her horse-drawn carriage, the Archbishop of Canterbury giving her the sceptre and rod with the dove, and the Archbishop lowering a crown onto her head.
Watch: SIR ROBERT MENZIES: OUR CORONATION TOUR – CORONATION AND PROCESSION.
The coronation in June 1953 took place more than three years before television came to Australia. While regular TV broadcasts occurred in England from 1936, TV camera crews were not something Australians were used to seeing. Menzies’ action with the camera is a testament to his foresight to capture a significant event and get the story out there. Menzies’ determination to film this footage meant Australians at the time were able to view his footage in newsreels after the event. Today, it remains a valuable historical record of the coronation.
Since Menzies’ day, technology has evolved. It is more accessible to more people and has increased its reach. We now carry smartphones in our pockets, capable of filming ultra-high-definition photos and videos and sharing them to a worldwide audience in a matter of seconds.
It has elevated our capability to tell stories and share them with a much greater audience.
Menzies has shown us a great example of taking action to get the story out there, and create historical records. It is an important lesson that could help government communicators with a message to sell.
If you have an important policy, initiative, or update to communicate to citizens, contentgroup can help you create a social media strategy, run a webinar, or create a podcast series.
Contentgroup has the skills and experience to leverage your storytelling capabilities and take it to the next level… to help you be like Menzies.
Get in touch. Let’s discuss how we can help you.
Links
Robert Menzies’ 1953 Coronation Tour – https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/sir-robert-menzies-our-coronation-tour-coronation-and-procession
