Australian
Screen

Menzies 1948 Journey, Reel 3 (1948)

Synopsis

This home movie is the third reel of a four-part travelogue filmed by Australian Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, on a journey he made with his family from Australia to Scotland and London in 1948. It features panoramic shots of Scottish countryside as well as footage of Trafalgar Square and London streets scenes and a close-up of Lord Birdwood at his home at Hampton Court.

Curator’s notes

by Elizabeth Taggart-Speers

This home movie is both a travelogue and historical record. The beginning is filmed like any other traveller’s home movie, featuring scenery and wide panoramic shots of countryside. However it also features Lord William Riddell Birdwood, the man who was given command of the Australian and New Zealand forces that served in Europe during the First World War.