Theo Clark Media in the News

Theo Clark Media produces a range of historical and current events video projects throughout the year, and contributes articles on topics of interest. Watch for articles in the news about our projects here.

Rob Heming Obituary

Wallaby Rob Heming has died at the age of 90. The unassuming optometrist from Manly was widely considered the greatest lineout forward of the amateur era. He was a gentle and considerate soul, possessed of steely determination when challenged in the fire. His journey to Wallaby glory began as a war refugee in New Guinea. 

Jim Lenehan Obituary 

Former Wallabies captain and athletics prodigy Jim Lenehan has died at his property near Harden, NSW. The Riverina grazier will be remembered as one of the finest schoolboy athletes and most blockbusting Wallaby players of all time, writes Theo Clark for The Sydney Morning Herald.

Read full article by Theo Clark: James Lenehan: Wallaby made name with lightning runs and thunderous kicks (SMH, August 31, 2022)

Rugby News: Saturday July 9, 2022

Reporter Mark Cashman gave the Norths Rugby Heritage project this little write up in Rugby News:
Norths are chuffed with the results from their heritage project being put together by Theo Clark Media.

The first part of the project concentrated on one of the club’s golden eras, the 1960s when the Shoremen won multiple Shute Shield titles and had the likes Roy Prosser, John Thornett and Rod Phelps running around at North Sydney Oval.

Clark interviewed a number of the major players from the era and there is some great insights into that time and the game as it was. There’s some nice touches in the documentary that has been narrated by the great Gordon Bray and even features some insights from the Sydney Morning Herald’s rugby correspondent from the time Jim Webster.

 25th Anniversary of the Friends of Sydney Uni Football Club

On Friday 12 November, 2021, the Friends of Sydney University Football Club celebrated their 25th anniversary, marking the occasion with a dinner at St. Andrew’s College attended by 75 Members and guests. The unique mentoring and business network has contributed a great deal to Uni Rugby since its foundation by Peter Hemming in 1996, and will be the subject of a specially commissioned documentary by Theo Clark Media.

To kick off proceedings at St Andrew's, resident piper, Nicholas Reynolds, led the attendees from the Junior Common Room to the Chapel and was joined by singer Elise Nolte to perform the Club Song and the National Anthem. The Chairman of the Friends, David Mortimer AO, expertly MC'd proceedings and introduced a wonderful short preview video of the history of the Friends by Theo Clark.

The Founder of the Friends, Peter Hemming then provided some interesting historical background in his toast to the Friends. Ian Jackman SC, regaled the audience with a highly entertaining toast to the University and was followed by the Chancellor of Sydney University, Belinda Hutchinson AC, who responded to the toast.

The Chancellor then introduced the newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Mark Scott AO, who outlined his vision for the University. The guest speaker, Ben Darwin of Gainline Analytics then presented some interesting data on his research into multiple sports.

​Read the full report on the SUFC website HERE.

Sydney Uni Football Club Wallaby Legends Lunch 2021

On 19 June, 2021, the Sydney University Football Club held its second Wallaby Legends Lunch to honour some past greats of the club. This year, the lunch took place ahead of the Uni v Gordon Shute Shield match. Tall tales and true were told by a panel of Wallaby greats of the 1960s, and a film by Theo Clark about the era was shown. Classic Wallabies Sparrow Dowse, Sean Spence and the Boyce twins Jim and Stewart took part in an entertaining panel discussion, over a fine lunch in the David Mortimer Stand at Uni Oval. Other club Wallabies Jack Potts, Rod Phelps, Peter Crittle and John O'Gorman were also celebrated in the video. Congratulations again to Australia's oldest rugby club for taking the initiative in keeping these great memories alive.

Read the full report on the SUFC website here.

Victory in the Pacific 75th Anniversary Address at Concord Kokoda Memorial

The 75th Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day was commemorated at the Kokoda Track Memorial in Sydney on 15 August 2020 with an address by Emeritus Professor Robert Lusby AM, Retired Colonel and Chair of the National Centre for Veterans’ Healthcare at Concord Repatriation General Hospital.

Professor Lusby concluded his remarks by quoting Fred Westphal from my 2016 documentary We had to Bloody Win: Kokoda Remembered by Fred Westphal:
​"Unfortunately for many servicemen, Victory in the Pacific was the beginning of long term mental and physical suffering. As Fred Westphal described it "it was not the war that destroyed us but the loss of friends - I was a nervous wreck for three years. We had been together for five years and in one day they are all gone, no one to talk to, the loss of friends, gone to all parts of Australia." We owe an eternal debt to all the brave men and women who served. LEST WE FORGET.
Read Professor Lusby's full address here.
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Kokoda Memorial, VP Day 2020.

Sydney Uni Football Club 'Legends Lunch' 2019

Great to have been asked to create a film for the first Sydney University Football Club Legends Lunch, honouring Wallaby skippers John Solomon and Dick Tooth with Saxon White. A great turn out of Classic Wallabies from many generations at the lunch, stretching way back to 1949.
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When Dr Solomon's team became the first Wallabies side to beat the Springboks at Cape Town in 1953, no international side had beaten the South Africans in a Test for 15 years. At the end of the match, the Boks hoisted Solomon on their shoulders and carried him off the pitch in a great sign of sportsmanship, remembered to this day.

Read the full report on the SUFC website here.

John Thornett Memorial Video at SCG

John Thornett MBE was farewelled with a memorial service at the SCG on 17 January. After speeches from his Wallaby teammates Dick Marks, Peter Crittle, and David Emmanuel, and from British Lion John O'Shea, proceedings were closed with a tribute video by Theo Clark Media and final words from John Thornett's wife Viv and daughter Pia. The Fitz Files reported:
So on Thursday morning last at the SCG the survivors gathered again, his enduring Wallaby team-mates, in a crowd 800 strong to farewell him for good. Mourners included Peter Crittle and Dick Marks – both of whom spoke, as did one-time Lions opponent John O’Shea – Rob Heming and John Brass, joined by the likes of John Eales and Simon Poidevin. A wonderful send-off, at precisely the right venue. Vale, John Thornett, great Wallaby captain.
Read obituary for John Thornett on the ABC here.
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John Thornett Tribute Video at the SCG

Documentary tributes paid to John Thornett: "Our most outstanding captain"

The rugby world is remembering Wallaby Captain John Thornett OBE, who passed away on Friday, aged 83. In 2017 while recording "Sometimes the Best Ever", I sat down with John for his final interview. Following his death, the ABC reported: 
The life of a rugby hero whose influence on the sport has been likened to Don Bradman has been celebrated at a funeral in a tiny New South Wales South Coast town. Former Wallabies captain John Thornett died in Batemans Bay last week, aged 83, after a long battle with illness.

Former Wallaby and one-time Australian Rugby Union president Peter Crittle agreed Thornett was the most outstanding leader in Australian rugby: "He led by example and was a great advertisement for Australia off the field as well," Crittle said when he was interviewed for  'Sometimes the Best Ever: The Story of the 1966/7 Wallabies',  a documentary by Theo Clark marking the 50th anniversary of the tour.
Read full article: Outstanding Captain John Thornett celebrated at South Coast NSW Funeral (ABC)

1963 Wallaby Book Launched

Theo Clark has been in Brisbane ahead of the Spring Bok Test to record the launch of "A Dangerous Breed: The Excellent Adventures of the 1963 Wallabies" about the exploits of one of the all time great Wallaby touring sides.
 
The book is written by the team's reserve hooker Mike Jenkinson, with contributions by teammates Dick Marks and Keith Walsham along with  former Springbok opponent Tom Bedford. 

It was launched at an old fashioned rugby lunch held at Wests Rugby Club. The event was MC'd by Dick Marks and featured rugby luminaries such as Alan Jones, Nick Farr-Jones,  Roger Gould and '63 Wallabies Jules Guerassimoff, Dallas O’Neil and John Wolfe. 

Members of the team reunited again on Saturday night to watch the Test match and meet some of the current team including David Pocock, Tolu Latu and Nick Phipps.

​Theo Clark contributed this article and photo gallery for a Classic Wallabies report: 1963 Wallabies reunite to launch new book.

Read more:

Ken Catchpole captured in final documentary

Legendary Wallaby halfback Ken Catchpole has died in Sydney after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Fox Sports reports:
AUSTRALIA has lost arguably its greatest ever rugby player after Ken Catchpole died at the age of 78 following a long battle with illness. One of the most talented halfbacks to ever play the game.

Legendary rugby commentator Gordon Bray had his career shaped in many ways by the influence of Catchpole. The biggest shame of his career was that he was unable to add to his legacy beyond the age of 28, when All Black Colin Meads wishboned his legs while he was pinned under other players in a ruck, tearing his hamstring off the bone and severely rupturing his groin.

That wasn’t the last sadness rugby fans have felt about Catchpole, with a recent documentary filming him after his illness had taken its grip.

Bray described the devastated reaction he had as he watched his former colleague reading about himself and giggling, illustrating what dementia had done to his mind.

“A really emotional thing for me is a documentary’s just been made by Theo Clark, on the 66/67 Wallabies,” Bray said. 

“Catchpole obviously had dementia and the English (Rugby Football Union) president said we’ve just seen the greatest scrum half in the world when they beat England on that tour. “They filmed him reading about himself and he was giggling because he didn’t know who the guy was talking about. That was gut wrenching to see that, with his dementia.”
Full article: Wallabies great Ken Catchpole dies aged 78 (Fox Sports)
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Ken Catchpole interviewed by Theo Clark in 2017.

Catchy: The Wallaby the All Blacks feared most

The sporting world is mourning the loss of former Wallaby skipper Ken Catchpole OAM, hailed as the greatest Australian rugby player of all time. Theo Clark Media's recent documentary on the 5th Wallabies captured a final interview with the great man, along with insights from his team mates on what made him so special, as Greg Growden reports for ESPN:
The Wallabies have produced many fine scrum-halves over the decades, but no one would dispute that Catchpole was Australia's finest halfback. Ask any Australian player of note who was in the Test side during the 1960s who is the best player they have seen. Without hesitation, they all say Catchpole.

In November, members of the 1966-67 Wallabies team assembled at Rugby Australia's new headquarters in Sydney to watch a documentary by Theo Clark about their European tour on which they defeated Wales for the first time.

Catchpole wasn't at the function, as he had been out of sorts for some time, but he was nonetheless the subject of so many conversations that night. After watching the footage, I was discussing with the mighty Australian union and league centre John Brass about how impressed I was with what I had seen on the big screen of the then Test five-eighth, Phil Hawthorne.

Brass remarked that Hawthorne was a fine, fine player but you had to remember that somebody inside him in the backline was throwing him the most perfect of passes: "Catchy".

The documentary also focused on Catchpole's feats, particularly his complete here, there, everywhere performance against England that saw Australia enjoy a 23-11 victory at Twickenham. The overwhelming nature of Catchpole's performance that day was at the core of the speech made by the Rugby Football Union president Duggie Harrison at the official dinner that night. After praising Australia's open play, Harrison said: "I have also had the pleasure of watching the greatest halfback of all time."
Read full article: Ken Catchpole was Australian player most feared  by All Blacks (ESPN)
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Read article
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Ken Catchpole with team mate Jules Guerassimoff in 2016, in a scene from the documentary "Sometimes the Best Ever".

"Sometimes the Best Ever": 5th Wallabies doco launched at new Rugby Australia HQ

In November 2017, ahead of the Wales Test match, the 1966/7
Wallabies gathered at Rugby Australia House to unofficially christen the facilities with a screening of my film about their tour and legacy, writes Greg Growden for ESPN:​
On Friday night, a group of elderly warriors assembled at the new Rugby Australia headquarters in Sydney to celebrate an important moment. They were there to watch rare footage of that long-ago afternoon when a touring Wallabies team defeated Wales for the first time.
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Some from the 1966-67 Wallabies team have passed on. Others are struggling. But those who attended the viewing of a new DVD video titled 'Sometimes the Best Ever' which chronicles in detail their extensive northern hemisphere tour were so full of life, so delighted to again be in each other's company.

​They were there, in the words of winger Stewart Boyce to celebrate an innocent time where 'we were paid a dollar a day, but the opportunity was priceless.' In the room were such notables as the mighty lock Rob Heming, the Test centre pairing of John Brass- who still looks as if he could sprint out onto a football field- and Dick Marks, fullback Jim Lenehan, winger Alan Cardy and prop Jim Miller, mingling with fellow tourists including Peter Crittle, Ross Teitzel, Peter Ryan and Jules Guerassimoff.

Footage of Australia's 14-11 win over Wales at Cardiff Arms Park on December 3, 1966 reminded all why the Wallabies had such a glowing reputation for playing fast, expressive football and that they knew how to overcome adversity. Heming played with a broken bone and torn ligaments in his right foot, while five-eighth Phil Hawthorne continued for 43 minutes with a depressed fracture of the cheekbone.

You can also comprehend why the players treated their captain John Thornett with such reverence. Not too many skippers would drop themselves from a game because they weren't happy with their form. Thornett did that for the Welsh Test. Ken Catchpole instead led the side that day.

For  70 odd minutes, the veteran Wallabies laughed, cried- especially when deceased colleagues appeared on the big screen- and finally applauded the first episode of a fine three-part documentary. 

The 1966-67 side had Australia's greatest scrumhalf- Catchpole. During the documentary, numerous players and former Sydney Morning Herald rugby correspondent Jim Webster who covered the tour, explain why 'Catchy' was regarded as the best.

An often-told story from that tour is what the Rugby Football Union president Duggie Harrison uttered at the official dinner after Australia defeated England 23-11 at Twickenham. While praising Australia's open play, Duggie said: "I have also had the pleasure of watching the greatest halfback of all time."
Read full article: Will Genia evoked memories of Ken Catchpole in Wallabies' win over Wales (ESPN)
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The 5th Wallabies reunited at Gundagai, in a scene from the documentary.
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Rugby writer Jim Webster (left) and Wallaby anthem writer John Williamson (right) during the launch at Rugby Australia HQ.

"Capturing your local story"

In his sports column in 2016, ABC radio's Geoff Mann gave a write up on Theo Clark Media's documentaries:
"Theo Clark describes himself as a "video story teller", someone who takes memories, memorabilia, and the interwoven tales and pulls them together in his digital workshop. Theo came to prominence in the west through his emotional tribute to the Warren Rugby Club..."
Read full article: Capturing your local story (Dubbo Photo News, p. 30)

Theo Clark speaks to ABC Radio about the art of video story telling

Geoff Mann is ABC Radio's Mr Sport in western NSW. On the June long weekend, he spoke with Theo Clark on ABC Sports Saturday about  documentary making and the creation of From an Ace to a Puma: 60 Years of Warren Rugby.
Theo, thank you so much for writing, filming and recording such a wonderful piece of history - Geoff Mann, ABC Radio

Australian Rugby Union article about Theo Clark Media

The ARU media unit took an interest in From an Ace to a Puma, and had this great report on their news website ahead of the 2015 Bledisloe Cup decider.
In 2014, coinciding with the club’s 60th Anniversary, Theo Clark Media was commissioned to make a documentary about the side, looking to capture the importance of Rugby Folklore and community. - aru.com.au, 2015.
Read full article: Warren Rugby Club goes from the bottom to a grand final (rugby.com.au).

Warren Rugby Club documentary launched in Sydney

The launch of From an Ace to a Puma at was met with great interest around country New South Wales. Some 130  people gathered at the Rugby Club in Sydney ahead of the Bledisloe Cup to watch a screening. The Warren Weekly featured this article about the event on its front page:
Once again the game of rugby has put Warren on the map with the film by Theo Clark Media creating a lot of interest both locally and further afield. Narrated by Gordon Bray AM, the documentary traces the history of the Warren Rugby Club from its beginnings in 1954... - The Warren Weekly, 12 August 2015.
You can download and read the article HERE:

Skiing Kiandra on Fairfax Digital

"Skiing Kiandra", a mini-doco by Theo Clark Media, has featured nationally  on Fairfax Digital. Kiandra is the ghost town in the Snowy Mountains where skiing in Australia began during the goldrush in 1861. In this short film, playwright Justin Fleming recalls his boyhood experiences in this remarkable Australian town, and talks about its place in Australian literature.

To see film on SMH.TV , click here.

March 2013

Article in Viewpoint about The View from '62

A new documentary about the history of St Ignatius' College Riverview as recollected by the Class of 1962 has been produced by Theo Clark, reports the college news letter Viewpoint. The historically sharp and enlightening film tells a unique and entertaining social history, capturing Riverview as it was half a century ago and reflecting on the many changes since.

Read the full article in the March 2013 edition of Viewpoint HERE.

The Story of Lane Cove Rugby and the Mateship of Grass Roots Rugby

In July 2012, the Longueville Sporting Club was packed to the rafters for the launch of the Lane Cove Rugby history DVD "Its A Jolly Good Story All The Same". Jim Davis reported for Rugby News that the film is introduced by Gordon Bray and is about "mateship, grassroots rugby and growing up in Sydney, going back to the early 1950s foundation of the club. Lifelong friendships that were formed through playing for the love of the game are at its core". Lane Cove's Wallabies Saxon White and Ken Yanz share their memories of the club in the film, as does Kangaroo Greg Florimo. Even former foes from the Briars and Colleagues clubs make an appearance to give their side of the Lane Cove Rugby story. 

Read full article: "Even if you don't believe us... It's a jolly good story all the same" - Rugby News, Issue 17, 2012.

Players launch club doco

Two Wallabies and a Kangaroo who played rugby for the Lane Cove Club came together at the Longueville Sporting Club to mark the unveiling of the club's first trophy cabinet and screening of a documentary on the club by Theo Clark, reports The Northern Districts Times.

Read full article: Players launch club doco (Northern Districts Times)

A historic gathering of Lane Cove Rugby Club

The Lane Cove Rugby Club gathered en masse at the Longueville Bowling Club at the end of July for the unveiling of their first trophy cabinet and screening of "It's a Jolly Good Story all the Same", a documentary about the club with a foreword by Gordon Bray, reports The Village Observer.

Read full article: A historic gathering of Lane Cove Rugby Club (The Village Observer)