Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

All titles produced in 1954

19 titles

A

Aeroplane Pure Fruit Jellies Advertisement: Bertie the Jet advertisement – 1954

The colourful animation, the anthropomorphising of Bertie, and the jingle ‘I love Aeroplane Jelly’ are designed to appeal to both children and their parents.

Australia Post – Royal Tour sponsored film – 1954

As this program amply illustrates, an excited Australian public turned out in droves to see the Queen in 1954. For the PMG, her visit represented a coming of age.

B

The Back of Beyond documentary – 1954

Battling heat, dust and flood, Tom Kruse delivers mail, stores and supplies along the 517 kilometre Birdsville Track in central Australia.

Blue Ice documentary – 1954

The story of the 1954 Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition to set up the first Australian base on the Antarctic continent.

D

Dimpel, Konrad: Canberra and Snowy Mountains home movie – 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.

G

Gerakiteys: Greek Wedding Reception: Canberra Scenes home movie – 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 home movie – c1954

This clip from a home movie by Emmanuel Gerakiteys beautifully captures a wedding in a small Greek town, soaked in afternoon sunlight.

H

Holden Car Cinema Advertisement: On a Tour of Tropical Australia advertisement – c1954

The presence of Coral Sea islanders in a Holden advertisement is probably the last thing that audiences at the time would have expected.

J

Just Peanuts documentary – 1954

Following the warm reception this film about peanuts received, Kingsford Smith became a successful and prolific producer of over 300 sponsored films and commercials.

K

King of the Coral Sea feature film – 1954

A pearler in the Torres Strait uncovers an illegal people smuggling operation.

M

A Matter of Taste advertisement – c1954

This 1950s ad for Schweppes focuses on the drinks in the context of entertaining, socialising and recreation, rather than the science behind the 'Schweppervescent’ bubbles.

Menzies RG: Our Royal Visitors home movie – 1954

Sir Robert Menzies recorded the royal visit of 1954 and the pomp, ceremony and excitement that surrounded it.

O

On Stream sponsored film – 1954

On Stream romanticises the achievements in building an oil refinery and emphasises the benefits for Geelong, its residents and the Australian nation.

Overland Adventure: The Story of the 1954 Redex Reliability Trial documentary – 1954

Jack Murray earned the nickname ‘Gelignite Jack’ through his habit of blowing up outback toilets, livening up his entrance to towns along the route.

Q

The Queen in Australia documentary – 1954

The first colour feature made in Australia, documenting the first visit of a reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1954.

R

Roamin’ Holiday home movie – 1954

This amateur travelogue made by John and Frank Straford records their trip to north-east Victoria in the 1950s.

S

Snowy Hydro – The Snowy Flows Inland sponsored film – 1954

Most of the Snowy Hydro productions followed the format and style of this film – a conventional instructional documentary complete with authoritative voice-over.

W

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.

Western Wonderland home movie – 1954

This 1954 travelogue of the Grampians National Park in Victoria features a poetically nostalgic voice-over recorded 50 years later.