Australia and the UK
The following clips have teachers’ notes related to this topic:
It’s war!
The recruiting drive is on and throughout the bush there are more than enough young men willing to drop everything for the adventure of war. Billy (Scott Burgess) and Walter (Scott McGregor) have been waiting …
‘The occasional, odd chilled glass of amber fluid’
Aunt Edna (Barry Humphries) takes Bazza (Barry Crocker) to meet distant upper class relatives, the penniless and pompous Gorts. Sarah Gort (Jenny Tomasin) takes Bazza to a country ball, where he is constantly insulted by …
Birthday party
This clip, shot by the Archibald family, shows a little girl’s birthday party in the early 1930s. Girls, all dressed in white dresses and with bobbed hair, play 'Ring-a-ring o’ roses’ and 'Oranges and …
The media
This clip shows the process by which the PMG must meet the needs of the media during Queen Elizabeth II’s 1954 royal tour.
‘The gentleman’s war is over’
In a lonely, windswept hill camp, far out in the veldt, Captain Hunt (Terence Donovan) instructs Captain Taylor (John Waters) to execute Boer prisoners brought in by Morant (Edward Woodward). When Morant queries the order …
‘This is what comes of Empire building’
Morant (Edward Woodward) and Handcock (Bryan Brown) march to their executions. Their lawyer, Major Thomas (Jack Thompson) lingers in their makeshift cell – which looks to be a stable – to consider the epitaph that Morant has …
Menzies home movies
This montage of clips from the Menzies Home Movie Collection features footage from Menzies’ wartime tour in 1941, including Tobruk, Palestine, Cairo, Jerusalem, Khartoum and England during the Blitz. It ends with close-ups of the …
The Duke of Gloucester’s opening speech
On the steps of Parliament House in Melbourne, the Duke of Gloucester delivers a speech on behalf of his father King George V, which declares the city’s centenary celebrations open. At the conclusion of …
The electric Early Kooka stove
‘Mrs Sydney’ (Pat Firman) prepares an evening meal for her husband with her newly acquired electric range while a voice-over emphasises the stove’s economy and efficiency. At the end of the advertisement, she asks …
Empire Day pageant
The camera captures a group on a horse and carriage; a woman dressed as Queen Victoria; and various groups of children in costumes. Two girls are dressed as Britannia and other children appear as Indians …
‘White gold of Australia’
The great granddaughter of Biddy O’Shea has flown to the Northern Territory station run by Frank Morrison, great grandson of James, to talk about their future together, but they disagree about his ‘prehistoric’ views …
Education and public health
The voice-over describes Australia’s education and health services in positive terms. It mentions the challenges of educating children over Australia’s vast distances.
Children play in a sandpit in a playground; others play on …
Recreational activities
This clip shows the Henley-on-Yarra regatta and celebrations; the agricultural showgrounds and ‘fair barrackers at a football match’. Each segment is introduced with an intertitle.
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 …
Lord Denman, governor-general
This clip shows the governor-general Lord Thomas Denman arriving at the naming ceremony of Canberra. A royal salute is fired before Lord Denman lays a foundation stone.
Setting up camp
This piece of documentary footage, taken on Mawson’s Antarctic expedition between 1911 and 1913, shows Lieutenant Belgrave Ninnis and Dr Xavier Mertz setting up their tent. Another shot shows them lying in their reindeer …
Codenamed Marcoo
The explosion of Marcoo, one of the four nuclear fission bombs tested at Maralinga between September and October 1956.
‘Something to fall back on’
Michael’s father told young Michael that the world was divided into three groups, 'fools, crooks and gentlemen’. By deciding to be an artist (theatre director) young Michael fell into the fool category. His father …
Debutante ball
Longreach’s debutantes are presented to the accompaniment of the bagpipe.
Beginning of The Rocks
This clip uses old paintings and engravings to trace the early history of the Rocks area from its inception.
‘Take time by the forelock’
This clip shows the first two minutes of the travelogue Skyway Express. It was produced in the late 1940s for exhibition in the cinema. It shows the start of a passenger plane journey to London …
A ride in the old bus
Mr McBride (Frank Bradley) takes Monty (Frank Leighton) to Mascot to meet the ‘flying parson’ (Eric Colman). Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, playing himself, offers to take them for a joyride over Sydney.
