A good turnout for the Avalon Beach Historical Society's AGM held on Tuesday 10 September 2024 at the Annex, Avalon Beach.
The evening featured a very interesting talk by Guest Speaker RAY HENMAN - ACS (Australian Cinematographers Society), who grew up in Palm Beach and has been connected to Pittwater and its history for the past 70 years.
Until age ten, Ray lived at Seaforth; his father, William John Henman (known
universally as ‘Jack’), ran several service stations, the last being at Spit Junction. In 1948, the family moved to Palm Beach and, with Jack Rigney, took over the garage on the corner of Iluka and Barrenjoey Roads.
Ray worked with his father, serving petrol, topping up oil bottles, etc as well as working on the ferries. His passion for cars from the 1940s and 1950s grew from his time at the garage; his first car was a 1924 Buick.
His father urged him to take an apprenticeship to become a mechanic, but Ray’s heart was already headed for the cinema. A 16mm Bell and Howell projector, a modified lubritorium, and the replacement of the oil pumps with director’s chairs soon made way for the Palm Beach Film Club.
Ray’s after-school journey to pick up the next set of films for the weekend showed true grit and determination. He would travel by bus from Manly Boys High to the city, collect the films, and then return home to Palm Beach ready for movie night.
The Palm Beach Cinema - 1953
He also assisted Arnold Spry as a projectionist at the Avalon Cinema, working six days a week, and later progressed to cameraman at TCN 9.
As is often the case with such evenings at the ABHS, it was Ray's anecdotes including about his later career as a cameraman that kept the crowd enthralled and wanting to hear more.
He told of travelling by speeding car through Nigeria with David Attenborough with a local driver whose main objective was to drive as fast as possible so that if he hit anyone (which he was narrowly avoiding) he wouldn't have to stop, take them to hospital and pay for their medical treatment. Ray and David Attenborough tied the man up and drove on at a more sedate pace, with the driver complaining loudly in the back.
In Alaska returning from filming the opening up of the Barrow Oil fields their helicopter ran out of fuel and they came down on a small island in the middle of a river with belligerent mother bears protecting their cubs... and the pilot protecting them with a rifle at the ready. The sound recordist was able to get out a May Day call and a drum of fuel was lowered to them from a nearby air force base.
After filming a story in Eritrea with author Tom Keneally, rather than return back to Khartoum via the "death road" they'd travelled in on, they found an Egyptian pilot who was willing to fly them back. En route they flew into a blinding sandstorm, which closed all the airports. The pilot said he was going to land anyway as they were low on fuel, so if anyone saw a building to yell out! After a couple of goes, they managed to land as the red light came on for the fuel.
Clearly a talented cameraman, he was selected to film Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Addresses for eight years.
Ray’s photographic collection, assembled by mate Bill Goddard, entertained the appreciative audience.
Be sure to watch for the next ABHS meeting. New members welcome.
Find our more at: abhs.org.au
Ray's Pittwater Online Profile available at: Ray Henman ACS
Roger Sayers OAM
Hon Media Officer, ABHS
