Wheat harvesting (1899)
This silent actuality footage was taken by the official photographer of the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Frederick Charles Wills, and his assistant Henry William Mobsby in 1899. It shows a horse-drawn Buckeye brand reaper and binder harvesting a wheat crop ... [read more]
Boer War Transvaal contingent (1899)
This actuality footage was taken by the official photographer of the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Frederick Charles Wills, and his assistant, Henry William Mobsby in 1899. Crowds line the streets to watch the First Queensland Cavalry Contingent parade just before ... [read more]
Better than watching (2005)
A map shows the path of the Finke Desert Race, starting in Alice Springs to the community of Finke 229 kilometres away. The racers stop for the night, then do the return ride the next day. Bernard Singer, Jamie Nyaningu ... [read more]
Laying the railway line (c1917)
Railway workers unload materials from a railway truck for the construction of a segment of the trans-continental railway line. Two men in a horsedrawn buggy ride past the camera. Another view shows men laying timber sleepers and metal rails. Men ... [read more]
The Birdsville Track (1954)
A pan across a skeleton-littered desert of ‘prehistoric bones’ sets the scene. As the camera sweeps across this vast landscape, the voice-over narration tells of the Aborigines, explorers, settlers, prospectors and drovers who travelled up and down the land defying ... [read more]
Steel rails (c1920)
Lengths of molten steel pass through a large machine that rolls them into rails for use in the Trans-Continental Railway. The molten steel snakes its way down the track before withdrawing again. The camera shifts position to capture this process ... [read more]
For fear of it finishing (1992)
Kerry’s hard bitten mother, played superbly by Jacqy Phillips, doles out some advice born of bitter experience as she washes her daughter Kerry’s (Belinda McClory) hair. She is determined Kerry won’t have the sort of disappointments in life that she’s ... [read more]
That bizarre creature, the platypus (1989)
The platypus up close and very personal; this bizarre creature, which is neither mammal nor marsupial, seemed to be 'a hoax sewn together from the parts of other creatures’, as the early settlers explained it when the platypus was shipped ... [read more]
‘Does this country belong to him?’ (1976)
Mike (Greg Rowe) and his father (Peter Cummins) go to warn Fingerbone Bill (David Gulpilil) that trouble is brewing. Bill is not supposed to be living on a state reserve, and the ranger wants to talk to him. [read more]
‘Don’t cut ’em to pieces’ (1975)
Foley (Jack Thompson) discovers he has competition from an unknown, Arthur Black (Peter Cummins). Shearing contractor Tim King (Max Cullen) gives Jim the learner (Graham Smith) a second chance. [read more]
Founding of Western Australia (1992)
The first images in this clip come from the series Land Looking West. They illustrate how the founder of Western Australia, James Stirling, had a vision of the new colony as one run by British privileged aristocrats and landowners. John ... [read more]
‘The gentleman’s war is over’ (1979)
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 to shoot prisoners, Hunt tells ... [read more]
Just like 3,000 years ago (1978)
John’s passion for Lake Eyre is obvious as he describes the privilege he and his wife experienced in seeing Lake Eyre full for the first time in 500 years. [read more]
The pyjama game (1987)
Former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell tells his version of the beginnings of World Series Cricket in 1978, when media baron Kerry Packer made Chappell captain. [read more]
Out of the darkness (1993)
A dancer emerges from the darkness, entering the glow of the ceremonial fire. He moves deliberately, then kneeling by the fire, shakes his shoulders. He takes brushes from the fire, and scatters the embers over his back. Elders walk by ... [read more]
Before the revolution (2006)
Four Australian women remember the world of their youth. They are from different backgrounds and cultures and yet for each of them the future meant finding Mr Right and settling down to raise a family. There was no information readily ... [read more]
The Black Sunday bushfires (1926)
This clip opens with a title setting the context of the ‘Black Sunday’ bushfires and announces it has been produced for use in connection with the bushfire relief fund. Smoke and fire can be seen burning through bushland as well ... [read more]
‘No clouds in the sky’ (1995)
Refugee Chen Xing Liang revisits the Port Hedland Detention Centre where he was detained for six months after arriving in Australia illegally. He was one of 56 Chinese refugees. He recalls crying from loneliness. [read more]
Going to the opera (2002)
The Australian opera is on tour with La Boheme. The conductor, Tobias Foskett, prepares before the performance. The cast dresses and puts on make-up. Audiences arrive at the theatre and taxi driver, Nicolaas Voorendt admits he always cries during the ... [read more]
Where to dig (2004)
Coober Pedy opal miners George and Judy Aslamatzis decide where to start digging guided by Judy’s instinct. The drilling machine strikes rock so George sets explosives to break up the rock. [read more]
