About Fremantle Through the Lens
Welcome to an online exhibition of extracts from the historic films of Sir Frederick “Freddy” Samson, the man they called “Mr Fremantle”.
Freddy was a grandson of Swan River Colony settlers Lionel and Fanny Samson and one of three mayors in the family. Grandfather Lionel arrived in Fremantle in 1829 and immediately set about helping establish the colony, often at his own expense. He purchased two blocks of land and started a new liquor and general merchandise business. Lionel Samson & Son is still the oldest continuing family business on the Australian mainland.
Freddy was a successful businessman and was elected to the Fremantle City Council in 1936. He had wide access to the comings and goings of the town as the world prepared for war. Freddy was also an amateur filmmaker and Fremantle ambassador who was passionate about his unique city and its role in Western Australia. Through his exquisite 16mm lens we witness ordinary people preparing for an extraordinary war, as well as many other scenes of historical interest from the 1930s to 1970s.
Freddy's collection of films display distinct themes and areas of interest based around progress, celebration and remembrance. Click the link (button) below to access these films on the Vimeo film presentation platform:
This exhibition is the first step planned to honour Freddy’s films. It has been curated by Will Axten (Genrefonix) with assistance from Christian Horgan and Fremantle Local History Librarian Stewart Alger. Mike and Joy Lefroy (Museums Without Walls) have developed a supporting Walking Tour for the 2021 Fremantle Heritage Festival and beyond. Please book your tickets for a tour using the button below or call Mike/Joy on 0430381957.
Images and footage throughout this exhibition were sourced from the collections of the Samson Family History Group, The State Library of Western Australia, the City of Fremantle and West Australian Newspapers. This project was co-produced by the City of Fremantle.
All films are part of the State Films Archive Collection held at the State Library of Western Australia, which is an amazing resource for all to share. Viewers of this exhibition are encouraged to find out more about the films (over 20 digitised reels) and subject matter by searching the SLWA database using the link below: