Architecture
The following clips have teachers’ notes related to this topic:
The Sydney Opera House sails
The exterior walls of the Sydney Opera House were inspired by the sails of the pleasure craft on the nearby harbour.
Rolf Harris at the Sydney Opera House
Australian entertainer Rolf Harris sings a self-penned tribute to the SOH while he does a painting of it. We see him in make up, preparing for the first performance in the concert hall.
Gaudí the perfectionist
Spanish architect Antonio Gaudí oversaw the whole of his artistic work – building design, construction and interior furnishings. Examples of Gaudí's buildings and interiors are shown, including some great pieces of his lesser known furnishings …
Sydney Harbour and Bridge scenes
This home movie clip, shot by the Archibald family, is taken from on board a boat in Sydney Harbour. It shows various steamships and boats on Sydney Harbour as well as the Sydney Harbour Bridge …
Fort Denison early history
This clip covers the early history of Fort Denison, from its initial construction in the 1840s as a defence against a feared invasion, to its completion in 1857, and its manning by Royal Artillery men …
Know your Melbourne
This advertisement begins with shots of a number of identifiable locations and buildings in and around the heart of Melbourne’s city. An informative voice-over accompanies shots of the Yarra River, the Botanical Gardens and …
Official parade
The Farey family travelled from Victoria to Sydney for the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932. This home movie clip opens with a shot of the Farey family on a roadside stop on …
Designing for the law
The Commonwealth Law Courts in Melbourne, Australia were designed by the architect Paul Katsieris. As he walks from the outside to the inside of this building he explains the design elements.
‘Who’s Juanita Nielsen?’
After her father’s death, his friend Tom Riley (Reg Lye) tells Jessica Simmonds (Liz Alexander) that he was murdered. In the pub, he explains the similarity to the disappearance of heiress Juanita Nielsen.
Elliott and Jessica ask for trouble
Jessica (Liz Alexander) teams up with Communist union leader Elliott (John Hargreaves) to try to stop the demolition of Angel Street. Elliott provokes a reaction from Collins (Allan Bickford), the casino operator who’s behind …
Melbourne city
This clip begins with a panoramic view from the Morehouse Tower of St Paul’s Cathedral looking south over the Yarra River to the Botanical Gardens and the War Memorial. It is followed by a …
Larry Sitsky comments on the Sydney Opera House
Composer Larry Sitsky comments that the opera theatre has many faults. Opera director Sam Wanamaker suggests that the space is manageable.
Sydney – ‘the Empire’s second-greatest white city’
A beautifully photographed montage of Sydney’s architecture, streets, people and modes of transport that is rapidly edited to orchestrated music.
A brief sketch of Walter Burley Griffin
Using voice-over, interviews, sketches and still shots of buildings, this clip gives a biographical overview of Griffin and describes the stylistic influences on his development as an architect.
