All titles in the ‘Nature’ genre
48 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year
0-9
5 Seasons documentary – 2004
Ancient Indigenous philosophies and cosmologies, this documentary shows, treat the land as a living entity and worthy of respect.
A
The Argentine Ant documentary – 1956
This short CSIRO documentary explains how to identify and eradicate the Argentine ant, a domestic and agricultural pest.
B
The Barefoot Bushman: Dancing With Dingoes documentary – 1997
The film includes footage of Bruce Jacobs, who established a dingo sanctuary in Victoria and bred dingoes for domestic sale.
Birth of the Red Kangaroo documentary – 1965
This CSIRO documentary details the reproductive cycle of the red kangaroo, its mating habits and growth in the pouch.
C
Catching Crocodiles documentary – 1933
If you’ve ever wanted to catch a crocodile, this nine-minute instructional video tells you how, 1930s style.
D
Dancing Orpheus television program – 1962
This black-and-white nature program from the earliest years of ABC TV features the unique lyrebird. Narrated by John West, it won an AFI Gold Award in 1963.
E
Echidna the Survivor documentary – 1995
Echidnas have no sweat pores and don’t pant, so in hot weather they go swimming to cool down.
F
Franklin River Journey documentary – 1980
Amateur botanist Antonius Moscal says that rafting down the wilderness of the Franklin River reminds him of the definition of God.
The Franklin Wild River documentary – 1980
Bob Brown takes a rubber dinghy through spectacular rapids as part of a filmed campaign to halt plans to flood the Franklin River.
H
Honeybee Blues documentary – 2009
Australian bee pathologist Dr Denis Anderson is on a quest to save the honeybee from the devastating Varroa destructor mite.
Hypsi: the Forest Gardener documentary – 1998
In this natural history of the smallest kangaroo, we learn that during summer, when food is abundant, the testes of the musky rat-kangaroo increase in size.
I
In the Wild with Harry Butler – Lake Argyle television program – 1976
Harry Butler CBE, naturalist and environmentalist, explains how man-made Lake Argyle has changed the ecology of the Kimberley region forever.
In the Wild with Harry Butler – Scars on the Landscape television program – 1976
Harry Butler seems the archetypal bushie, with his khaki shorts and battered bushman’s hat. He doesn’t work to a script, but moves around the bush with a keen eye.
J
Jabiluka documentary – 1997
This film offers Indigenous, scientific and economic perspectives on the issue of mining uranium at Jabiluka.
Jewel of the Pacific documentary – 1932
In this 1932 travelogue shot and narrated by Frank Hurley, rat tails bring a reward of sixpence each and Lord Howe Island locals join the hunt for the pests.
L
Landline - Ethanol Special 2006 television program – 2006
Alarmed by a 2003 media scare campaign, Australians have been left behind by Brazil and the US with regard to developing non-fossil fuels.
Land of the Apocalypse documentary – 1991
The traditional custodians of Kakadu National Park battle to protect an important sacred site from mining exploitation.
The Last Husky documentary – 1993
Husky dog teams have served on the Mawson Base in the Antarctic for fifty years. The documentary records the last dogs to be used there and their journey to a new home in Minnesota in the USA.
The Last Whale documentary – 1994
Credited as being influential in the IWC’s 1994 decision to create the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, this film is a passionate plea to save whales from extinction.
Lift Off – That’s Not Fair – Part B television program – 1992
Spruikers from the ‘Bonza’ cereal advertisement come out of the TV set to persuade Poss and Kim that buying Bonza will make all their dreams come true.
Loggerheads documentary – c1990
Since European settlement, half of Australia’s forests and three-quarters of its rainforests have been cleared.
N
Nature of Australia – A Separate Creation television program – 1989
This first episode of the most expensive wildlife program ever made in Australia boasts magnificent photography and a great script.
Nature of Australia – Land of Flood and Fire television program – 1988
The animals and plants must cope with the stresses of life in a place that swings savagely between the wet season and the dust and heat of the dry season.
Nature of Australia – The Sunburnt Country television program – 1989
At the time this series was made, the program makers felt they were showing Australian flora and fauna to many Australians for the first time.
Night documentary – 2007
The real time and time-lapse images in Night are edited seamlessly and, in combination with the music, become very meditative.
Northern Safari documentary – 1956
This six-month journey in a 1948 Buick later inspired the Leyland Brothers and Albert Mangles.
Numbats documentary – 1996
In 1973 the numbat was adopted as an emblem of WA, joining the black swan, the red and green kangaroo paw, and the gogo fish.
O
The Official Film of the Mawson Antarctic Expedition documentary – c1916
This film documents part of the treacherous 600-mile 1911–1914 expedition to the Magnetic South Pole led by Sir Douglas Mawson.
P
Painting Country documentary – 2000
Indigenous paintings are maps of the artists’ country. They trace the land’s topography, but also contain personal history, mythology and Dreaming tracks.
Paper Trail, the Life and Times of a Woodchip documentary – 1991
A ‘paper trail’ from Japanese paper products back to Australia, examining whether the world’s demand for paper can coexist with protection of its forests.
Peach’s Australia – Darling River television program – 1976
Bill Peach was a household name in Australia at the time he gave up being the presenter of This Day Tonight to return to his first love, travel journalism.
Peach’s Australia – Flinders Ranges television program – 1976
Peach’s meanders around the country he’s describing, offering tantalising snippets of history, spiced with art history and Aboriginal Dreaming stories.
R
Rare Chicken Rescue documentary – 2008
After a battle with depression Queensland chicken breeder Mark Tully embarks on a mission to protect the endangered chickens who, he reckons, saved his life.
S
The Ship That Shouldn’t Have documentary – 1984
A scientific expedition aboard the steam-powered Cheynes 2 was beset by disasters. The members of the expedition were lucky to survive.
Snowy Hydro – Conservation in the Snowy Mountains sponsored film – 1955
This film traces the history of soil erosion in the Snowy Mountains and demonstrates the approach taken by the Snowy Mountains Scheme to counteract the problem.
Snowy Hydro – The Snowy Mountains Scheme sponsored film – 1952
Interesting as an early document on the Snowy Hydro scheme, it’s an unabashed celebration of the entire endeavour, depicting it as a model of postwar reconstruction.
T
Terrible Lizards of Oz documentary – 2004
A whimsical review of Australia’s palaeontology, Terrible Lizards of Oz superimposes prehistoric animals on contemporary settings to humorous effect.
Thar She Blows documentary – c1931
A short documentary about a whale hunt, including the dissection of the carcass and the conversion of blubber to oil.
Tim Storrier, ‘Lighting Fires’ documentary – 1993
Painter Tim Storrier journeys to the outback accompanied by his father and his son, and talks about his love of the desert and bush upbringing.
Tnorala: Baby Falling documentary – 2007
An ancient central Australian dreaming story about the formation of a large meteorite crater in the Northern Territory.
The Trail of the ‘Roo documentary – 1931
The Trail of the 'Roo is one of a handful of documentary featurettes made by the McDonagh sisters, pioneers of Australia’s early motion picture industry.
W
Wamsley’s War documentary – 2000
Wamsley’s controversial hat made of feral cat skins was instrumental in his campaign to make it legal for operators of wildlife sanctuaries to destroy cats.
The War Against the Rabbit documentary – 1954
This sponsored documentary made by the CSIRO is about a farmer’s campaign to eradicate a wild rabbit infestation.
Webs of Intrigue documentary – 1992
For this close-up look at the world of Australian spiders, cinematographer Jim Frazier patented a revolutionary lens now used throughout the world.
Weekend Magazine – Carnarvon Gorge and the Fighting Highlanders television program – 1982
Weekend Magazine was one of the first programs on television to teach people about the environment and how it should be cherished and protected.
When the Lights Go Out: Cockroaches, a Domestic History documentary – 1994
A tour of domestic life from a cockroach’s point of view. Humankind are a passing evolutionary novelty compared to their 300 million years on earth.
Y
Yindi: The Last Koala? television program – 1996
A young koala is rescued from danger, but the whole species is still threatened.
