13 collections
Lumière
The Lumière Collection includes over 30 actuality films made in 1899 by Frederick Charles Wills and Henry William Mobsby which record Queensland agricultural processes and daily life at the end of the 19th century. [read more]
Shell Company of Australia
The Shell collection comprises a range of audiovisual material sponsored by the Shell Company of Australia or made by the Shell Film Unit over a 90-year involvement with film and video production. [read more]
Sounds of Australia
Sounds of Australia is the NFSA’s annual capsule of iconic audio moments, honouring recordings which have resonated deeply with communities and audiences across the country. [read more]
Horror in Australian Cinema
While vampires and zombies thrilled audiences in the Northern hemisphere, Australia’s idea of a horror scenario lay somewhere in the vast centre of the continent. [read more]
Gallipoli on Film
The legend of Gallipoli formed quickly in Australian hearts, based on the report of a man who wasn’t quite there. Australian feature film companies re-created the landings of 25 April 1915 on film, and that footage is still often presented as real. Paul Byrnes untangles the mythology of Gallipoli on film. [read more]
Australian Ethnographic Film
Michael Leigh surveys the long history of ethnographic filmmaking in this country and the representation of Indigenous Australians on film. Note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this page may contain images of deceased persons. [read more]
The Depression
The Depression was worse for Australia than many other countries. Paul Byrnes wonders if that explains its treatment on Australian screens. [read more]
Surfing
From lifesaving to 'soul surfing’: Paul Byrnes tracks the history of surfing and surf movies in Australia. [read more]
AWM Western Front
Paul Byrnes argues that the surviving First World War footage held by the Australian War Memorial of Australians at the Western Front is worthy of more serious regard. [read more]
Australasian Gazette
The Australasian Gazette newsreels held at the National Film and Sound Archive span over three decades and capture a diverse range of subjects including political and national events, sport and entertainment. [read more]
Australian Comedy Part 3: 1950s–1980s
Part three in Paul Byrnes’ series on comedy in Australian film covers the 1950s through to the 1980s. [read more]
Outback on Screen
NFSA Historian Graham Shirley traces the rich diversity of Australian cinematic representations and interpretations of the outback. [read more]
