Titles from the 1920s
120 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year prev 1 2 3 next
1925 (continued)
Maxonol Gramophone: Buy a Good Gramophone and Keep Her at Home advertisement – 1925
Typically for a cinema advertisement of the time, it takes a narrative style and is shot like a slowly paced short film.
Melbourne Scenes historical – c1925
Various subjects such as Alfred Deakin’s funeral and an AFL match reveal glimpses of Victorian life in the 1920s.
Opal Mining Lightning Ridge documentary – c1925
Davidson collected over a million feet of footage over 40 years including the miracle of a man pulled from a mine shaft, never once hindered by the pipe in his mouth.
The Popular Sport of Surfboarding newsreel – 1925
An early newsreel of pioneering surfboard riders at Bondi Beach in Sydney in 1925.
The Rising Generation documentary – c1925
This incomplete documentary from 1926 promotes the public education system in South Australia from kindergarten through to university.
Snippy is an Artful Dodger short film – c1925
This charming example of an early Australian cartoon superimposes cell animation over freeze-frames of live action to create Snooks’s dream world.
Thursday Island and Merauke, Dutch New Guinea historical – c1925
The cast and crew of Frank Hurley’s feature-length dramas, The Hound of the Deep (1926) and The Jungle Woman (1926), explore the culture and environment of their island locations.
Timber Getting in New South Wales documentary – c1925
Wood choppers balance on thin planks while rigorously swinging their axes. A silent film looking at the timber industry in New South Wales in the 1920s.
A Trip Along the River Murray documentary – 1925
This silent black-and-white film from 1925 emphasises the ‘Mighty Murray’ river’s significance in Australia’s agricultural and natural history.
Wirth’s Circus Film historical – c1925
Wirth’s Circus, one of Australia’s most well-known family circuses, toured the country extensively in the 1920s and embarked on world tours to England, South Africa and South-East Asia.
1926
Australasian Gazette – 10,000 Miles around Australia newsreel – c1926
In this Australasian Gazette newsreel from approximately 1926, Mr and Mrs F Dean arrive in Melbourne after their Shell-sponsored trip around Australia by touring car.
Australasian Gazette – 70,000 Pounds Production Nears Completion newsreel – 1926
This newsreel clip from 1926 shows a scene from For the Term of His Natural Life in production at the Australasian Films’ Bondi studio in Sydney.
Australasian Gazette – Clive Barass, Australian Champion and Leader of the Troupe newsreel – c1926
In this silent black-and-white footage, Australian champion diver Clive Barass and his troupe perform at Clifton Gardens Baths near Mosman, Sydney.
Australasian Gazette – Master Pictures Lead the Way newsreel – c1926
In 1926, the general manager of Australasian Films and the producer of For the Term of His Natural Life leave for Tasmania to scout movie locations.
Australasian Gazette – Miss Australia, Beryl Mills, Leaves for the US on the Sonoma newsreel – 1926
This newsreel clip shows a large crowd farewelling the first Miss Australia, Miss Beryl Mills, as she leaves for the USA on the ocean liner Sonoma in 1926.
Australasian Gazette – Prickly Pear Infested Areas of Australia newsreel – 1926
By 1925, the prickly pear infested over 25 million hectares in New South Wales and Queensland. Caterpillar larvae were introduced in 1926 to combat the problem.
Australasian Gazette – Shopping Week, Sydney newsreel – c1926
This 1926 Australasian Gazette newsreel segment features a 'monster procession’ as part of Shopping Week in Bondi Junction, Sydney.
Australasian Gazette – Test Cricketers newsreel – c1926
Filmed at Headingley Oval, this newsreel from approximately 1926 features the Australian cricket team on tour in England. Also included are highlights from a match.
Australian Cement in the Making documentary – c1926
Everything you wanted to know about cement making — in the 1920s — but were afraid to ask.
Black Sunday documentary – 1926
This silent footage was probably used as a promotional tool for fundraising in the wake of the 'Black Sunday’ bushfires of Valentine’s Day 1926 that swept Victoria.
Darwin c1926 historical – c1926
This historical and cultural record of Darwin in the 1920s includes valuable footage of the city’s environment and its multicultural population.
A Day at an Engineering Works sponsored film – c1926
This Made in Australia Council documentary details work at the largest engineering works in South Australia at the time.
A Morning at the World’s Greatest Agricultural Show documentary – c1926
A straightforward glimpse into the lives of the trainers, handlers and owners of horses and livestock competing at the 1926 Royal Agricultural Show.
Overland Whippet Motor Car: Advertisement advertisement – c1926
The Overland was an American motor vehicle company acquired by John Willys early in the 20th century.
Peach Growing and Canning in Australia sponsored film – c1926
At the time the film was made, the Leeton State Canning Factory employed approximately 250 people and processed 120 tonnes of fruit a day.
Picturesque Portsea Provides Perfect Pageant newsreel – c1926
This clip of the popular beach and pier at Portsea in Victoria vividly captures the beach fashions and social customs of the 1920s.
Round About Townsville documentary – 1926
Thought to be one of the Know Your Own Country series from the 1920s, Round About Townsville positions Townsville as a veritable paradise.
Snapshots around ‘Madras’ home movie – c1926
This is a good example of how, in the early days of moving images, people would often pose for the camera as if they were posing for a still photograph.
These American Tourists Leave Melbourne After Breakfast home movie – c1926
This home movie footage consists mostly of aerial shots taken during the flight that survey suburban areas around Melbourne.
Those Who Love feature film – 1926
Barry Manton marries Lola Quayle, a dancer from a humble background. Lola faces an uphill battle for acceptance from Barry’s wealthy parents.
Traffic Chaos Caused by Fusing of Electric Tram Wires newsreel – c1926
This newsreel covers a traffic jam caused by the fusing of electric tram wires in Melbourne in the 1920s. We also see the chaos that follows the event.
A Visit to Ernest Hillier’s Factory sponsored film – c1926
This documentary details the delicate work and attention to detail required when producing handmade chocolates and sweets for Australian consumers.
1927
An AIM Patrol documentary – 1927
This film documented outback life in the 1920s and may have been made to accompany a written report.
Archibald Family: Noorong Gazette: Parts I - IV home movie – c1927
The Noorong Gazette is a series of seven film gazettes compiled between 1927 and 1932 by the Archibald family of Strathfield, Sydney.
Australasian Gazette – Arrival of the Duke and Duchess of York newsreel – 1927
This 1927 newsreel shows the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of York for the official opening of Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra.
Beautiful Middle Harbour advertisement – 1927
Beginning with wide, panoramic shots of the scenery, this captures some interesting footage of Sydney before suburban development.
Camp-Berlei Foundation Garments: Physiological Support advertisement – c1927
Today Berlei remains one of the most recognisable names in the manufacture and design of lingerie and underwear in Australia.
Dame Nellie in the Mitchell Estate Garden, Lilydale home movie – c1927
This is home movie footage of opera star Dame Nellie Melba at her home, the Mitchell Estate Garden in Lilydale, Victoria.
For the Term of His Natural Life feature film – 1927
The use of locations, particularly Port Arthur, is probably the film’s strongest asset, lending both veracity and visual impact. The other real strength of the film is its confident use of special effects.
The Kid Stakes feature film – 1927
The Kid Stakes is one of the greatest comedies of the silent era, although it was largely dismissed at the time as simply a children’s film.
Official Opening of Canberra by His Royal Highness the Duke of York newsreel – 1927
The Duke of York (later King George VI) officially opens Parliament House in Canberra on 19 May 1927. Dame Nellie Melba sings the national anthem, 'God save the King’.
The Sailors spoken word – 1927
A theatrical comedy routine by vaudeville performers Stiffy (Nat Phillips) and Mo (Roy Rene) recorded in 1927.
The Stawell Gift: Staging the Golden Jubilee Carnival documentary – 1927
The Stawell Gift, one of the oldest foot races in the world, began as a competition between miners in the Victorian goldfields.
Vivien Straford 1927–1937 home movie – 1927
The father of amateur filmmakers the Straford Brothers was an avid maker of home movies himself, despite losing an arm during the First World War.
1928
Archibald Family: Noorong Gazette: Parts IX - XII home movie – c1928
These gazettes made by members of the Archibald family are some of the earliest examples of home movie making.
Austin Hospital at Heidelberg, Vic: The Only Hospital for Chronic Diseases in Australia documentary – 1928
This is a remarkable visual record of what hospitals were once like — and the treatments used for some ailments in the 1920s.
The Birth of White Australia feature film – 1928
This early feature depicts racial tension in NSW in 1861. Despite its offensive representation of Aboriginality, the film has cultural and historic value.
Browne, George: Our movie memories 1928–1934 home movie – 1928
These amateur role-plays are a real treat to watch and were clearly a source of great amusement for all involved.
Buckley, Anthony: Buckley Family Collection: Tarn Shan Tin Mine, Thailand home movie – c1928
This footage is rare because Australians travelled infrequently to South-East Asia in the 1920s.
