Clip description
Scenic shots of Uluru as the voice-over speaks of the 'geological timescale of the continent and its growth and ageing’. Then, we see Uluru weather a storm. As rains cascade down over the rock, the voice-over describes 'the elements that have shaped the Australian arc over billions of years’. As water trickles down the rock, it washes pathways and rivulets giving the rock its distinctive shape and curves.
Curator’s notes
This clip illustrates both the physical beauty of Uluru (called Ayres Rock at the time of this documentary) and also a style of filmmaking typical of nature documentaries. The Shell Film Unit often engaged the technical skills of accomplished directors and cameramen to work on their films. In this clip, as in the rest of the film, the continent is portrayed as a vast landscape weathered and shaped by the passage of time.