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an NFSA website

A Big Country – Perkins Navy (1979)

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'Not a bad effort'

Original classification rating: PG. This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

An ex-army officer skippers the Warrender which is the newest of the barges, custom-made for the north.

Curator’s notes

by Janet Bell

Bruce Perkins and his crews are shown engaging in pioneering work across the top end. There’s no other way to get supplies into remote settlements year round. It’s interesting to note how filming and editing techniques have advanced in the 25 years since this was made. By todays standards the filming feels a little boring. These days, the filmmakers would have captured the story by living with the barge crew for weeks on end and the piece would be about how these pioneers deal with the boredom and the heat and each other.