A HANDFUL of press photographs snapped at a match between Carlton and South Melbourne at the Lakeside Oval more than half a century ago, have found a new home in the football club’s archive. 

The photographs, captured when the two teams met in the 16th Round of 1969 (Saturday, July 26) were for years in the keep of the former VFL field umpire and long-serving 3AW gamecaller the late Harry Beitzel.

Syd Jackson in full flight.

 

Featured amongst them are the likes of Syd Jackson, Wes Lofts, Bert Thornley, David McKay and John Nicholls – the latter having contributed five goals in the visitors’ 52-point drubbing of the Swans – 19.12 (126) to 11.8 (74) – in what was also the senior debut of the 204-game dual Premiership player Barry Armstrong.

Under coach Ron Barassi’s watch, the visitors’ Lakeside victory would be the last in a run of ten on the trot – one of the best winning streaks in Carlton’s storied history.

Sergio Silvagni has eyes for the footy as David McKay commits to a marking contest.

 

The black and white photographs and negatives, in pristine condition, were acquired from Christine McVeigh in Port MacQuarie on the New South Wales coast. That they survived at all is something of a minor miracle, as Christine explained.

“These and many other sets were given to me by Harry Beitzel around 2004,” Christine recalled. “Harry moved all his storage boxes up from Melbourne to our shared warehouse in Sydney. We had a sports nutrition and clothing store in Crown Street, East Sydney (almost next door to City Gym) which we shared with the then Australian-owned company Musashi.

 

Vin Waite awaits the outcome of a marking contest.

“Harry asked if he could store his collection with us until he sorted out what he wanted to keep, which turned out to be virtually none of it. Most of the material was binned, but he left me three boxes to do away with as he ran out of time.

“Stupidly I binned a lot of the material and kept half a dozen or so assorted boxes of Kodak films - photos and negs – the Carlton-South ones amongst them.”

David McKay clears; the old grandstand casting an imposing shadow.
Harry’s daughter Kerrie Beitzel was able to shed precious light on the story behind the story of the South Melbourne-Carlton photographs.

"The photos would never have been taken by Dad as he would have been calling the game for 3KZ . . . I can’t recall Dad even owning a camera least of all using one,” Kerrie said.

"Mal Thompson, who worked full-time for Dad as Chief Photographer of Footy Week which Dad published, would have almost certainly taken these pictures.”
 

If you are in possession of old Carlton Football Club photographs, film or items of memorabilia and would like to donate them to the club’s archive, please contact Tony.DeBolfo@carltonfc.com.au