1 min 6 sec

Taken from the historical footage Les Darcy vs Dave Smith for the Championship of Australia (1916)

Original title classification not known – this clip chosen to be G

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Availability of the complete title

Please note: this clip is silent

Curator’s clip description

Australian Middleweight Champion Les Darcy trains beside the waters of Sydney Harbour. He begins by jumping rope, then wrestles with a sparring partner before putting on boxing gloves and training with mentor Dave Smith.

Curator’s notes

It is not clear who filmed this footage – it was possibly used by Darcy to refine his own boxing style. But what is nice about this clip is that it shows Darcy relaxed, smiling and confidently training before the camera and shows him in a less structured setting than footage of him in the ring.

Lauren Williams, curator

australian screen