All home movies
87 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year prev 1 2 next
A
Activities of the Royal Aero Club of South Australia c1935
Amateur filmmaker and professional photographer John Mack manages to convey the experience of flight in a light aircraft.
Albion, Douglas: Children’s Birthday Party c1925
This short segment is one of three reels of nitrate film chronicling significant events and celebrations in the Albion family during the early 1920s.
Albion, Douglas: Children’s Party c1921
This beautiful example of early movie making in 1920s Australia was rediscovered by Douglas Albion decades after it was filmed.
Albion, Douglas: Wally’s Fifth Birthday Party c1921
Douglas Albion was about to throw this footage out when he heard of a search for source material to be used in the production of Our Century (1998).
Archibald Family: Family Scenes and Outings in Sydney c1932
Much like a family album, this home movie collection records events over a period of time. From baby shots in the backyard, to outings at the beach.
Archibald Family: Noorong Gazette: Parts I - IV c1927
The Noorong Gazette is a series of seven film gazettes compiled between 1927 and 1932 by the Archibald family of Strathfield, Sydney.
Archibald Family: Noorong Gazette: Parts IX - XII c1928
These gazettes made by members of the Archibald family are some of the earliest examples of home movie making.
Archibald Family: Noorong Gazette: Parts XXI - XXIV c1930
The Archibalds were a successful business family who had interests in the milling industry in Queensland and New South Wales.
Australia’s 150th Anniversary Celebrations, Sydney 1938
Interestingly, the 26 January 1938 parade celebrating 150 years since the arrival of the First Fleet does not reflect Australia’s convict history.
Australia to England via Tobruk and Benghazi: Menzies Wartime Tour 1941
Most footage of the Second World War is in black-and-white, making this 16mm colour home movie by former Prime Minister Robert Menzies even more extraordinary.
B
Bali Hi c1971
Bali has always been a popular destination with Australians and this film was made at a time when cheaper air travel meant that more Australians travelled overseas.
Balinese Holiday c1933
This rare example of amateur footage of Bali and Java in the 1930s represents a particular Westerner’s view of the Asian region at that time.
Browne, George: Blue Mountains c1930
This family holiday footage shows landmarks such as Katoomba Falls, the Sublime Point Lookout, Orphan Rock and the Three Sisters rock formation.
Browne, George: Our movie memories 1928–1934 1928
These amateur role-plays are a real treat to watch and were clearly a source of great amusement for all involved.
Buckley, Anthony: Buckley Family Collection: Tarn Shan Tin Mine, Thailand c1928
This footage is rare because Australians travelled infrequently to South-East Asia in the 1920s.
Bushnell, K: Cyclone Tracy Aftermath 1974
This unedited footage was shot by freelance cameraman Keith Bushnell in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Tracy which hit Darwin on Christmas Day 1974.
C
Children’s Party, Boys Wrestling and Outdoor Performances c1925
Cameras were relatively expensive in the 1920s and mostly confined to families who could afford the new technology.
Christmas Crackers 1945
This amateur film from 1945 shows the joy of a family reuniting at the end of the Second World War after the men return from overseas service.
Cine Safari c1977
Cine Safari was made during a month-long trip by approximately 30 members of the Cine Society in the spring of 1977.
Clarke, Robin JH: Sydney Diary 1950
This home movie footage was taken by professional cameraman Robin Clarke, one of Australia’s first television cameramen.
Colleano on Tightwire, Rehearses in Arena c1939
Con Colleano was the first performance artist to perfect the toe-to-toe forward somersault on a wire.
Colleano on Tightwire Rehearsing at Home c1939
This footage offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at one of Australia’s most accomplished circus performers from the early twentieth century.
Couch: Our Women of the VAD 1943
This amateur production provides an almost behind-the-scenes view of the women as they went through their VAD training.
The Cremation of a Balinese Chief at the Hotel Bali c1930
This Balinese cremation was apparently the first such ceremony to be witnessed and filmed by a white man.
D
Dame Nellie in the Mitchell Estate Garden, Lilydale c1927
This is home movie footage of opera star Dame Nellie Melba at her home, the Mitchell Estate Garden in Lilydale, Victoria.
Dimpel, Konrad: Burned Out Fields Around My Walking Ways 2003
This home movie by Canberra resident Konrad Dimpel documents the bushfires that swept through the ACT in January 2003 and their destructive aftermath.
Dimpel, Konrad: Canberra and Snowy Mountains c1954
Most of this home movie footage captures scenes of sporting and leisure activities around Canberra, such as the woodchopping competition at a local show.
Dimpel, Konrad: German Christmas celebrations, Lutheran Sunday School picnic c1966
In this 1960s home movie, a curious baby kangaroo joins a Lutheran Sunday School picnic at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve outside Canberra.
Dimpel, Konrad: Jennings Germans c1960
Some of the first houses built by the ‘Jennings Germans’ are still standing in O’Connor, Ainslie and Yarralumla.
Dimpel, Konrad: Manuka Swimming Pool 1961
This silent 8mm colour footage provides a snapshot of Canberra social life in the 1960s.
Dimpel, Konrad: On the Voyage to Germany c1966
Konrad Dimpel has recorded his family’s history through home movies since his arrival in Australia from Germany in 1954.
Dimpel, Konrad: Red Hill 1964
This colour home movie, captured by Konrad Dimpel, shows his children quietly entertaining themselves over Christmas in 1964.
Double-decker Bus and Rail Motor c1936
The bus-rail hybrid was designed to service minor rail lines in Sydney that did not have enough passengers to justify the larger rail motor.
Duff, Paul: Papua New Guinea c1949
This is a unique record of Australia’s interests in the natural resources of our Asia-Pacific neighbours.
Dyer, Frederick Simpson: Children’s Party and Beach 1941
Amateur home movie maker Frederick Simpson Dyer made a number of movies covering family events such as outings, holidays and birthdays.
Dyer, Frederick Simpson: Cinema and its Workings 1941
This footage reveals the excitement of going to the cinema at a time when the moving image was not all pervasive, as it is today.
Dyer, Frederick Simpson: Milkshakes and Bomb Shelter c1940
This footage offers a beautiful glimpse of suburban Australia during the Second World War through the everyday recreational activities of the Dyer family.
E
Elapsed Time Test Studies: Australian Wildflowers, Tahiti, Travel Scenes c1955
FE Winton was apparently the only person in Australia in the 1950s doing elapsed time photography using electric flashes.
F
Farey: Opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge 1932
Lesley Francis Farey captured what it would have been like to be in the crowd at the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Farrow, H: Victorian and South Australian Holiday Scenes c1930
This 16mm home movie captures a number of holiday scenes and places including ice and snow in Mount Buffalo, Victoria.
From England to the USA: Menzies Wartime Tour c1941
Part travelogue and part historical record, this home movie captures official visits as well as the prime minister’s own travel.
G
Gerakiteys: Greek Community Picnics 1950
This beautiful colour footage captures how the Greek community in Canberra lived at the time, and the ways they contributed to community life.
Gerakiteys: Greek Scenes c1955
The Gerakiteys home movies represent a detailed example of multicultural life in Australia during the 1950s.
Gerakiteys: Greek Wedding Reception: Canberra Scenes c1954
This is a rare example of home movie footage of migrant communities living in Australia in the 1950s.
Gerakiteys: Scenes of Greece and Canberra c1954
This clip from a home movie by Emmanuel Gerakiteys beautifully captures a wedding in a small Greek town, soaked in afternoon sunlight.
H
Henshall, Mr: Australian Cricketers Visit Ceylon, Naples, Switzerland and Practise at Lords 1930
This rare home movie captures informal scenes of Don Bradman and Australia’s 1930 touring cricket team, as filmed by the manager.
A Hero’s Reward 1950
This delightful ‘family farce’ home movie production was filmed over a weekend around the Lindfield area in Sydney.
Higgins, Bryce: Family and Holiday Scenes: 1909-1924 c1909
This beautifully filmed home movie contains some of the earliest examples of home movie footage held by the National Film and Sound Archive.
Historic Beechworth 1971
This colour home movie gives us a glimpse into Beechworth, showing us the local scenery and architecture and people panning for gold.
Holidays in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Canton, Java c1932
These scenes of colonial-era South-East Asia are an early example of actuality footage which captures Australian perspectives of the region.
