Puberty Blues 1981 stills to be sold for Women’s Village Collective
The star of an iconic Australian film which depicted a male-dominated beach culture is selling memorabilia to support a group helping women through the housing crisis.
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Last week marked 40 years since the premiere of iconic teen film Puberty Blues.
Now, Nell Schofield – who played protagonist Debbie – is offering 20 framed archival prints for sale to support a group helping vulnerable women.
Ms Schofield, based in Mullumbimby, said the black and white prints and many more came into her possession via a friend of the late Michael Roll.
Mr Roll was the stills photographer for Puberty Blues.
“I thought I’m a bit over seeing myself at 17 but I saw some photos in this box that I hadn’t seen before,” Ms Schofield said.
“So that was really nice, especially to see some photos of Jad (Capelja) and I.”
Ms Capelja, who passed away in 2010, played Ms Schofield’s on-screen best friend, Sue.
“It’s just beautiful to see her lovely face again, and the gang,” Ms Schofield said.
She had 20 of “the most iconic” images framed to sell.
An exhibition will open in Bangalow this week to raise funds for the Women’s Village Collective.
“I just think they’re doing really good work,” Ms Schofield said.
She said the collective’s founder Sama Balson and her team had “really committed themselves to finding solutions” to the issue of insecure housing for women and children.
Ms Balson is looking to have secured a spot on the next Byron Shire Council, after running alongside Michael Lyon in an independent team.
“Because the film is so much about the empowerment of women and girls, I thought the Women’s Village Collective is doing that: focusing on women who are most at risk, and vulnerable and need safe spaces to live,” Ms Schofield said.
One of the photographs was previously auctioned off at an event run by Greens candidate for Richmond, Mandy Nolan.
Ms Schofield is hopeful the exhibition will go some way to helping the collective in the face of a housing “emergency”.
“You see so many people in their vans and caravan parks,” she said.
“I’m really keen to help support groups that are finding solutions to the crisis.”
Ms Schofield said she had been warmly embraced by the region since moving to the area about two years ago.
“I really just want to give something back,” she said.
“I feel so lucky and privileged to be in this position, to be able to give back a little bit where I can.”
Looking back on the film she starred in four decades ago, she spoke warmly of its lasting impression.
“Because the film has been so iconic it’s never gone away,” she said.
“It’s always been referred to throughout those 40 years as a time capsule of what Australian beach culture was like then and it’s always used as a kind of marker: how much have things changed.”
The fundraising exhibition opens at Ninbella, 19a Byron Street Bangalow on Wednesday, December 15 and will run until December 30.
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