Water in Australian cinema
Australia is the driest inhabited continent, but you don’t have to drill far to find water in our movies. [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]
Prisons on Film
Paul Byrnes examines the history of Australian penal cinema, from prison ships to detention centres. [read more]
Marvellous Corricks
The Corrick family were vaudeville-style entertainers who toured Australia, New Zealand, and the world in the early 1900s. [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]
Australian Comedy Part 2: The Early Sound Era
Part two in Paul Byrnes’ series on comedy in Australian film covers the early sound era. [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]
Surfing
From lifesaving to 'soul surfing’: Paul Byrnes tracks the history of surfing and surf movies in Australia. [read more]
Konrad Dimpel Home Movies
Konrad Dimpel’s 42 home movies capture family and work life in Canberra and its surrounds from the mid 1950s up to the present day. [read more]
Reality Comedy
TV curator Kate Matthews looks at the postmodern blending that has created a genre mashup loosely referred to as ‘reality comedy’ in Australian television. [read more]
Straford Family Films
The Straford Family Collection of films includes a diverse range of amateur films made between 1927 and 2007 by brothers Frank and John Straford and their father Vivien. [read more]
Snowy Hydro
This is a collection of films and footage shot and produced in the main by the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Authority film unit, during construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme between 1949 and 1974. [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]
Australia Post
The Australia Post series of films at the National Archives of Australia is a collection of films and footage relating to the nation’s postal service. [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]
General Motors Holden
This is a collection of black-and-white and colour cinema and television advertisements produced for General Motors Holden from 1948 through to the mid 1970s. [read more]
Australian Comedy Part 1: The Silent Era
Part one in Paul Byrnes’ series on comedy in Australian film looks at the silent filmmaking era. [read more]
Cinesound Movietone Australian Newsreels
The Cinesound Movietone Australian Newsreel Collection held at the National Film and Sound Archive comprises 4,000 newsreels from 1929 to 1975. [read more]
