All sponsored films
109 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year prev 1 2 3 next
H (continued)
Home c1936
Dedicated to 'home builders and home lovers everywhere’, this film looks at the changing landscape in house building from the first settlers to modern homeowners.
A Home of their Own 1949
A Home of their Own contrasts Ted and Mary’s overcrowded, inner-city housing with the 'Smith family’, who are lucky enough to live on a new suburban estate.
I
Ikara the Weapon Thrower 1963
This black-and-white film, classified 'confidential’ at the time, shows the lead up to the Ikara weapons trials and the trials that began in April 1963.
Isle of Many Waters 1939
The opening credits read 'a portrayal by Frank Hurley described by himself’ and contain the relaxed and descriptive narration style evident in many of his travelogues.
J
Jungle Road c1963
While the film is patronising in its approach, it promotes the army’s work as vitally contributing to preparations for Papua New Guinea’s eventual independence.
K
King of the Surf 1964
In 1964, ten of the world’s best surfers converge on Manly Beach to fight for the title of world champion.
L
Let’s Go c1956
This film promotes the Shell Touring Service and Shell’s nationwide network of road-related services. Shell maps were produced from the 1920s until the late 1970s. Shell has deposited a significant amount of film with the National Film and Sound Archive for preservation, with a range of excerpts on this site.
M
Maintaining the Links: Maintenance of Historic Timber Bridges in NSW 2001
This film from the RTA Oral History Program documents the history of timber bridge design and construction in New South Wales.
N
The New Gladesville Bridge 1967
A public relations film made for the NSW Department of Main Roads documenting the construction of the New Gladesville Bridge, then the longest reinforced concrete arch span in the world.
Not Only the Need 1957
This sponsored film made for the Australian Council of Trade Unions argues for the provision of affordable housing to replace inner-city slums.
O
On Stream 1954
On Stream romanticises the achievements in building an oil refinery and emphasises the benefits for Geelong, its residents and the Australian nation.
Operation Blowdown 1963
This is the official film of Operation Blowdown, the classified project that aimed to replicate the effects of a nuclear explosion on a tropical rainforest environment.
Operation Buffalo – Colour Record 1956
In 1957, Britain’s Prime Minister declared that the Operation Buffalo tests would place Britain on an equal nuclear footing with the USA and the Soviet Union.
The Origin of Oil c1923
Made for the Shell Company of Australia, this industrial documentary traces the path of oil from its initial extraction to the petroleum relied on by consumers.
P
Peach Growing and Canning in Australia 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.
A Place to Live 1950
This Realist Film Unit documentary illustrates that the builders of homes belonging to the wealthy themselves live across the river in poor conditions.
Poisoned Daggers c1941
The evocative title lends a sense of drama to the message being conveyed: that the mosquito’s bite is a threat not just to the health of the community, but also the war effort.
S
Safety First c1936
This early road safety film uses drama, artwork and song to show children the correct way to behave when on the road.
Schools for Farmers c1950
This short film promotes schools for farmers during vacation time at Hawkesbury Agricultural College.
Service in the Sun 1957
In 1956, members of the American and Hawaiian surf lifesaving teams demonstrate the latest surfing techniques on Bondi Beach.
Sewerage of a Great City: Melbourne c1922
By the time this sponsored documentary was made, over 166,000 homes and 70,000 people were, according to its intertitles, 'enjoying the benefits of sewerage’ in Melbourne.
Sheep to Shop: Hosiery and Knitted Goods 1924
At one point in this promotional documentary, a machine miraculously 'absorbs yarn at one end and discharges socks at the other’!
Sheep to Shop: Woollen Goods 1924
Made inside a wool mill, this film covers making the yarn, weaving the fabrics, pressing the finished goods and packaging them for distribution nationwide.
A Shining Example c1920
Unlike other films produced by the Made in Australia Council, A Shining Example juxtaposes a tour of an Australian factory with a fictional narrative.
Silver City 1936
This film is narrated with Frank Hurley’s typical flamboyance and presents mining as instrumental to maintaining the livelihood of over 100,000 Australians.
Snowy Hydro – Conquest of the Rivers 1957
This is essentially a recruitment film, targeting the types of workers whose adaptability and skills base would well serve the Snowy Hydro scheme’s requirements.
Snowy Hydro – Conservation in the Snowy Mountains 1955
This film traces the history of soil erosion in the Snowy Mountains and demonstrates the approach taken by the Snowy Mountains Scheme to counteract the problem.
Snowy Hydro – Gardens of the Snowy Mountains 1967
This Snowy Hydro film encourages visitors to the area to take a wider look around, but also counters any criticism of the vastly expanded settlement of the region.
Snowy Hydro – Operation Adaminaby 1958
In an extraordinarily florid finale, reminiscent of wartime propaganda, the film pays tribute to the residents and their noble act in moving the town of Adaminaby.
Snowy Hydro – Safety on the Snowy Scheme 1964
The culture of the all-male workplace was one where risk taking and daring were highly valued, an environment intensified by the experiences of two world wars.
Snowy Hydro - Snowy 69 1969
This 1969 film makes a concerted effort to explain the many facets of the Snowy Hydro scheme to the public, including how the system was being built.
Snowy Hydro – Sound and Safe 1963
Produced in 1963, this safety film focuses on 'drill and blast’ tunnelling on the Snowy Mountains Scheme in an effort to save lives and prevent injury.
Snowy Hydro - The Best of the Years 1974
This 1974 documentary examines the multicultural workforce and its achievement in building one of the world’s largest hydroelectric schemes to that date.
Snowy Hydro – The Construction of Geehi Dam 1967
This film is a fairly technical description of the construction of Geehi Dam in the Snowy Mountains Scheme, located in a remote area of Kosciuszko National Park.
Snowy Hydro – The Jindabyne Story c1965
Although the film talks about the potential loss of the history of the region, the prevailing sense is that the new town of Jindabyne will do very well.
Snowy Hydro – The Snowy Flows Inland 1954
Most of the Snowy Hydro productions followed the format and style of this film – a conventional instructional documentary complete with authoritative voice-over.
Snowy Hydro – The Snowy Mountains Scheme 1952
Interesting as an early document on the Snowy Hydro scheme, it’s an unabashed celebration of the entire endeavour, depicting it as a model of postwar reconstruction.
Snowy Hydro – The Snowy–Murray Development 1969
There’s no exciting dramatic structure here, but to watch it is to gain an insight into the size and complexity of such a large-scale civil engineering venture.
Snowy Hydro - Where Giants Meet 1948
The film spends a lot of time singing the praises of the TD-24 bulldozer, but it’s also interesting as a recruitment tool for genuine high country bushmen.
Snowy Hydro - Where Men and Mountains Meet 1963
This film is a fascinating depiction of the national ideal of postwar masculinity, looking at the spectrum of workers involved in the Snowy Mountains Scheme.
South Melbourne Methodist Mission News c1924
From the early 20th century, Christian welfare organisations have used films like this to highlight their work within the Australian community.
South-west Pacific 1943
During the Second World War, Chips Rafferty appeared in two short documentaries made for the federal government to support the domestic war effort.
Sydney-Newcastle Expressway 1968
This film comprehensively covers three-and-a-half years of construction of the Sydney-Newcastle Expressway in 50 minutes.
T
Take the Tempo from the Teeth 1948
An early promotional film advocating milk as a key part of a balanced diet, with teeth acting as the barometer for good health.
The Tasmanian Tiger 1960
This documentary – a partly-dramatised look at Tasmania’s animals and birds – is a good example of innovative documentary making in the early 1960s.
Terrain in South East Asia 1964
Produced in-house by Army Public Relations, this was a restricted-access training film for Australian troops placed in South-East Asian postings.
Terrain Study of Phuoc Tuy Province South Vietnam 1967
Many of the places named in this formerly restricted army training film have become pilgrimage tour destinations for veterans of the Vietnam War.
These Are Our Children 1948
Through the lives of fictional siblings John and Molly, this film is an indictment of the social injustice facing Melbourne’s inner-city poor.
They Serve 1940
By the 1940s, the work of the Red Cross for the 'Australian soldier at home and abroad’ extended throughout Europe and the Middle East.
Think Twice 1958
This occupational safety film for metalworkers highlights three main sources of injury – heat, rays and fumes – and illustrates safe and unsafe ways to operate in the workplace.
