Titles tagged with ‘wildlife’
28 titles - sorted alphabetically or by year
1910s
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.
1930s
A 5000 Mile Tour Through Central Australia documentary – 1930
Clearly, exploring Australia’s interior back in the 1930s was very challenging.
Siege of the South documentary – 1931
Frank Hurley documents Australia’s rich history of scientific exploration of the Australian Antarctic Territory.
Orphan of the Wilderness feature film – 1936
Boxing contests between men and kangaroos, as shown in this film, were a frequent ‘attraction’ in travelling tent shows.
Follow the Sun documentary – 1938
Pioneer filmmaker Frank Hurley is best known for documenting wartime and adventure but he also made travelogues like this one.
1940s
250 Million Years Ago documentary – c1940
While very dated stylistically, this documentary about fossils contains clear information.
1950s
Northern Safari documentary – 1956
This six-month journey in a 1948 Buick later inspired the Leyland Brothers and Albert Mangles.
1960s
The Tasmanian Tiger sponsored film – 1960
This documentary – a partly-dramatised look at Tasmania’s animals and birds – is a good example of innovative documentary making in the early 1960s.
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.
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.
1970s
Ask the Leyland Brothers – Episode 23 television program – 1976
The Leyland Brothers answer viewer requests and visit Broken Hill and Uluru.
Storm Boy feature film – 1976
Seamlessly woven into this story about one boy’s love of a pelican, are such themes as race relations, ecology, and family breakdown.
1980s
Crocodile Dundee feature film – 1985
This is not just the most commercially successful Australian film ever made, but also one of the most successful non-Hollywood films.
1990s
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.
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.
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.
Echidna the Survivor documentary – 1995
Echidnas have no sweat pores and don’t pant, so in hot weather they go swimming to cool down.
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.
Yindi: The Last Koala? television program – 1996
A young koala is rescued from danger, but the whole species is still threatened.
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.
Petals – A Boot Full of Petals television program – 1997
Petals is an animated series for preschool children which revolves around the adventures of five tiny flower ‘petals’ who live at the bottom of an overgrown garden.
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.
Lobster Tales documentary – 1998
In creating an 'animal meets people’-style documentary from a lobster’s point of view, director Celia Tait presents an anthropomorphic view of lobsters.
2000s
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.
Shark Vs Croc television program – 2004
Former shark hunter and Australian spearfishing champion Ben Cropp compares predators.
Rogue feature film – 2007
A US travel writer and a group of tourists on a boat trip in the Northern Territory are menaced by a giant crocodile.
