The weirdest video in history? The Seekers in Canberra

Love this – apart from the Seekers. That looks like Monaro Cres in Red Hill. The car is a 1965 Pontiac Parrisienne. I used to see it regularly in the (then) outer-north i.e. Downer/Watson around that time – and I recall it doing wedding duty at the ‘church’ at the Rosary School in Watson one weekend. My dad worked in South Building a few years after this was shot, as did I more recently. On that theme, my mum and her dad both worked in the old Jolimont building, in Mum’s case in Civic, and in Grandad’s case at Jolimont in Melbourne – they moved the thing here in the mid-sixties and it went from being a Vic Rail building to the Civic Police Station, and later the Super Board building. Old Canberran will recall the thing catching light one day – corresponding with the visit of the Queen/Pope/LBJ – I can’t recall exactly who.

OOps, a bit off subject

Just fabulous, darling!

I swear the same VW Beetle was illegally parked outside the Legislative Assembly today.

And it’s been a while since I’ve seen a WEST German flag.

Also, I didn’t think Ms Durham was such a hussy. I saw BOTH her knees in the gratuitous shot as she made herself VERY comfortable on the backseat. I mean these days, that’s what Canberra is famous for. Until now I never realised that “The Seekers” started the Canberra pornography industry.

I can confirm that that film clip is greatly enhanced on grass.

What a boring looking city!

Where did you say it was again?

Hercsie said :

Was that Harlold Holt on the steps of (old) Parliament House?

Has to be. They obviously met him as that was the PM’s car leaving.

Well spotted.

Was that Harlold Holt on the steps of (old) Parliament House?

johnboy said :

Saccharine and reliant on foreign writers for hits?

Saccharine? I would argue that they were more light 1960’s folk music but your second point is possibly very true. Given that a majority of Australian artists from the 60’s relied heavily on immigration (or at least was developed from immigrants).

Max Merritt, Mike Rudd, Dinah Lee, Ray Columbus, Bruno Lawrence – NZ

Billy Thorpe (& Tony Barber an original Aztec), Olivia Newton-John, the Twilights (Glenn Shorrock & Terry Britten, Mike Sykes and Clem “Paddy” McCartney), John(ny) Farnham, The Easybeats (Stevie Wright, Snowy Fleet, George Young) – UK

Easybeats (Harry Vanda, Dick Diamonde) and Johnny Young – NETHERLANDS,

Gary Young from Daddy Cool was from the USA

and it goes on….

BUT it was a GREAT clip.

Come to think of it, I actually hate them more after seeing that…

Sadly I can’t hate them. When I want to feel sad and sentimental about happpier times with my parents, I call on the Seekers. Pathetic isn’t it?

That was fantastic! I saw The Seekers with Louisa Wisseling at the Canberra Theatre in the 70’s and with Judith Durham at the convention centre theatre in the 90’s.

Hercsie said :

I remember driving past the old parkroyal at night as a little tacker in the back of dads xp falcon and marvelling at the mutilple fountains in front of the hotel – they were all lit by different colour lights.

I remember the trip home from the Starlight Drive-in, and insisting on being woken so I wouldn’t miss the Parkroyal fountains 🙂

hmm, that didn’t work too well 🙁

– type in ACT legislative assembly for location.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
for recent view

at risk of double posting as my first effort seems to have flown in to the ether, that’s civic square outside the civic theatre, on London Circuit, legislative assembly building to the left? Ainlsie ave behind, now lpedestrian plaza going down to city walk and merry go round. Baileys arcade top left. Filmed from steps of old canberra theatre

Awesome. A canberra version of the “It’s a Long Way to the Top” film clip – well almost. Can anyone confirm the street/suburb at the end?

Cameraman owned the Volks?

This thread has brought on a weird flashback…

1973, I’m five years old and travelling to Australia from England on the Fairstar. The kids all had to go to school on the ship and at one point we had to put on a show for teh other passengers. The music was all The Seekers. Wow! I though I’d supressed all that. Back to counselling (or alcohol)….

That is absolutely hilarious.

And yet, I still hate the Seekers with an undying and undiminished passion.

LOL.

How cute were the guys? Opening the car door for Judith, letting her get in first, helping her out at the end. Very sweet. (and well dressed!)

Loved the fact that there was a VW out the front of the German embassy, then realised that there was one in almost every other scene as well….

George said :

I agree an absolute “gem”. I watched the Seekers at the Royal Theatre in Canberra on their reunion tour. They symbolise what is special about Australia.

Saccharine and reliant on foreign writers for hits?

I agree an absolute “gem”. I watched the Seekers at the Royal Theatre in Canberra on their reunion tour. They symbolise what is special about Australia.

LOL. Great find JB!

Ah, 1966, the year my wife was born. A simpler time when riding in a car meant you cold sit on the top the back seat of a moving car without fear of falling out.

I particularly love the last shot where the cop is standing in the middle of the road (just on the lef of the screen). It does raise the question though that with all four seekers seen exiting the car alone and after all are seen sitting on top of the back seat, who was actually driving? I offer the theory that young Ms Judy (AKA Judith Cock) was driving using her feet. This could also explain her later car accident that killed a person.

Warning: Never drive with your feet!

oh that’s hilarious isn’t it? I stumbled across that somewhere years ago and there’s really nothing you can do but laugh and marvel at a different world.

johnboy,

fantastic mate!

I remember driving past the old parkroyal at night as a little tacker in the back of dads xp falcon and marvelling at the mutilple fountains in front of the hotel – they were all lit by different colour lights.

Thanks – that brought back a lot of memories.

The suburb they are driving through just before the end looks like red hill?

cheers

Hercsie

mirage3 said :

Perhaps the weirdest thing is being able to drive up to the door of the US embassy and no one seems to care. It was a different world back then.

Yes, that was but one of the many marvels which struck me watching it.

Perhaps the weirdest thing is being able to drive up to the door of the US embassy and no one seems to care. It was a different world back then.