The history of the Access Video Centres in Melbournes Western Suburbs began way back in 1974. Until now, that history had not been told. This website does not claim to be an exhaustive history of Community Access Video in Australia, but a look at the video centers and people from Melbournes Western Suburbs written by those who were there.

Through the resources of many people in Australia and the co operation of interested individuals and web sites from around the world, a little part of that history can now be told. To all those who were able to share and contribute, thank you!

Malcolm Cormack, Lassya Maksymyschyn (Shive), Gary Shaw, John Wray McCann, Graeme Hunter, David Gray, Robin Kenny, Brian Walsh, Robert Manderson, Brian A Williams, John Hughes, Bill Childs, Rob Stewart, FreVideo, Heino Saarelaht, Ted Peck, Alan Dyall, John Robinson, Judith McGinness, Amanda Peckham (Williamstown Library), Ann Cassar, Owen Hyde, Jim Hevey and all the volunteers from the Altona and Laverton Historical Society for providing additional research support, encouragement and material for this website.

Thanks to Claude Vander Cammen from PIC SOUND sprl in Brussels for providing brouchures of Sony equipment from the 1970’s. Claude spent a considerable amount of time searching his personal archives and providing images of Sony brochures from the 1970’s and for that we are truly grateful. Be sure to check out his site at http://milestone.picsound.be for information on video equipment from days gone by.

To Troy Walters at http://70scountdown.50megs.com/ for sending us images of an entire sony catalogue from the seventies . . . many thanks.

To David at the Rewind Museum in the United Kingdom for granting permission to use photographs from his website at
www.rewindmuseum.com

Many thanks to Frank Tytgat from Vintage Sound & Vision in Belgium for the use of video equipment pictures. Be sure to visit his website at http://users.telenet.be/frank.ttt/

To Andy Hain and David Browne at the Total Rewind Museum in the United Kingdom for permission to use images from their website at www.totalrewind.org

Thanks also to Bruce Rogers for permission to use images from his site at
www.brogers.addr.com/Web/AV3400.htm

For assistance with reunion marketing videos - Thanks to Lee-Anne Croucher, David Page, John Wray McCann, Jacqui Croucher, Elisa Croucher, Rhianna Sander, Kaila Sander, Michael Bryan, Karen Sargeant, Rob Manderson, Georgia-Kaye Saarelaht, Anna Saarelaht, David Gray, Gary Shaw, Heino Saarelaht, James Paterson, Robin Kenny, Rosemary Kenny and Rob Stewart.

and finally . . . thanks to Arrow Video Altona, As it Happens, Channel Four, Saasha, Small Screens Productions, Bulldog Productions, Kingsville Kowboys, Ampro Video, PS Productions, Mandersonics, Turtle Video, Appleby Animations, Footscray Community Video Centre, Kennycam, Lillyput Media, Pier 18 Digital Post, Reunion International Pictures, Western Communications Co operative Ltd, Avid Productions, and all the other groups and individuals who contributed to our community . . . the access video community of Melbourne’s Western Suburbs - Turtle Video, Footscray Community Video - Western Communications Co operative Ltd 1974-1981

(We apologise if we have failed to credit any other production group names
. . . it was a long time ago.)

Website -
Content preparation & design - Gary Shaw & Heino Saarelaht
Webmaster & Technical Infrastucture Manager - Rob Manderson
Video restoration & mastering - Pier 18 Digital Post Australia
Additional video restoration - James Paterson, Australian TV Archive
Original music composed & recorded by Rob Manderson at blacKnob Studios Phoenix Arizona USA.

Notices - Members of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Maori communities are advised that this website may contain names and images of deceased people.

All users of the website should also be aware that certain words, terms or descriptions may be culturally sensitive and may be considered inappropriate today, but may have reflected the various author's/creator's attitude’s or that of the period in which they were written.

Copyright -
It is never our intention to knowingly infringe anyone else's copyright, if we have inadvertantly done so we apologise and will happily acknowledge the source of any original work on request of the copyright holder or otherwise agree acceptable terms and conditions as to continued use or immediately remove the item/s upon request by the copyright holder.

Email us at info@turtlevideoaltona.com

Reunion International Pictures exists only in name and was born solely to reunite ALL past members and friends of the Access Video movement in Melbourne's Western Suburbs. It always has been, and always will be, totally non profit.

Reuniting friends and members of Community Access Video Centres from Melbournes Western Suburbs, Victoria, Australia
A non profit project © REUNION INTERNATIONAL PICTURES 2010 - 2011