Posted October 10, 2017 12:01:16

Photo: Former prime minister Robert Menzies films at a coastal command air station in the UK in 1941. (Supplied: Australian War Memorial )

He was Australia's longest-serving prime minister, but Sir Robert Menzies was also an enthusiastic amateur cinematographer who filmed dozens of silent, colour home movies.

The 16mm projector he used to screen them to his family, friends and colleagues has gone on display at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MOAD) at Old Parliament House.

It was presented to the then prime minister in 1954 by the company Sixteen Millimetre Australia.

MOAD curatorial officer Campbell Rhodes said the vintage machine was in "beautiful condition".

"As far as we can tell, it still works," Mr Rhodes said.

"We haven't actually tried to test that because we don't want to damage it, but the donor says that it's in good working order."

The museum acquired the projector from a filmmaker, a family friend of the Menzies, who was given it by Dame Pattie Menzies during a clean-up in the 1990s.

Mr Rhodes said it provided an insight into Menzies (1894-1978) as a man rather than as a politician.

"We know a lot about Menzies' career and his achievements and all of the things that he did in his life but … we don't talk as much about the personal side of these people," he said.

"It shows that he had an interest in things outside of politics and it tells us about his character and his personality — and that influenced him in a lot of the things that he did."

Photo: The Menzies projector is on display at the Museum of Australian Democracy. (Supplied: Museum of Australian Democracy)

Menzies began his hobby with a 16mm camera gifted by his friend George Nicholls in 1941.

"He was not a professional but he very much enjoyed it," Mr Rhodes said.

"There's a modern trend … [in which] everything you do goes on Facebook and Instagram, and Menzies was kind of like that; when he was on holiday or when he was on an official trip or when something important happened in Australia."

On a war-time trip to England he captured, in colour, the devastation caused by the Blitz and famous London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace.

Later he filmed the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the royal visit to Australia as well as family celebrations at the Lodge.

Menzies' daughter Heather Henderson remembered wheeling the projector out of its cupboard and feeding in the film.

Mr Rhodes said Menzies screened his home movies to "probably anyone he could force into it", including parliamentary colleagues.

"I guess if the boss wants to show you his home movies, you be very polite and you turn up and you watch them," he said.

Topics: 20th-century, library-museum-and-gallery, government-and-politics, film-movies, canberra-2600