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2015: Belinda Ensor and Joel Checkley

Oral histories and film documentary: The Lucas Girls – A match to remember

On 28 September 1918, a group of factory workers held a football match in Ballarat to raise money for the war effort, attracting more than 7000 spectators and raising £330. The extraordinary feature of this war effort fundraiser is that the football teams were made up of women: factory workers from Ballarat's Lucas Factory (the Lucas Girls) and Melbourne's Federal Khaki Clothing Factory. This was the first documented football match between two female teams in Victoria.

Belinda Ensor and Joel Checkley's Centenary of World War One Fellowship project will see the development of a short film that explores this incredible moment in history, including the events that led up to it, the immediate outcomes for the region and the legacy that remains. The film will be a culmination of dedicated research drawn from the State Library's collection and beyond, alongside community liaison and oral histories.

Belinda Ensor completed an MA (Public History) in 2003 and a Graduate Diploma in Film and Television at VCA in 2010. She currently works part time for Museums Australia (Victoria) as Co-Manager of Victorian Collections, assisting in the digitisation, management and care of community collections. She also works as a freelance film producer for the cultural sector.

Joel Checkley is a freelance filmmaker with a background in narrative structure and visual storytelling. He possesses a BA (Media Arts) and currently develops films for the education and cultural sectors, as well as for commercial and private clients.