New Guinea Patrol

Title credits superimposed over landscape painting of mountain ranges. Fade to same scene in reality. GS line of indigenous Papua New Guineans led by Australian Sinclair walking across highlands. MS of people past camera carrying supplies, medical equipment and guns as Australian participants are identified.

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WS propellor plane taking off from green airstrip towards camera at Tari. WS track following motorbike across airstrip to another plane being readied. Notable commentary re Australian Government 'civilising' the highland tribes. VS Tari people watching Australian patrol organisers. VS Tari people gathered on hill watching and MS of men in traditional head pieces and clothes. VS men tending survey aircraft.

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MS Australian patrol organisers discussing route over map. CU to map. WS New Guinea highlands and WS of preparations by patrol at nearby Koroba station. VS Assistant District Officer James Sinclair talking to villagers in Pidgeon. WS with Papuan interpreter Elijah calling into landscape for carrier volunteers and calling to villagers unenthusiastically gathered in town. CUs village elders watching on with CUs to shell earrings and decorations. WS village women and children gathered together watching.

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GS line of Koroba patrol volunteers. CUs of faces of volunteers, some painted shiny red. WS of village with huts and volunteers and MS of more volunteers brought in from bigger stations. VS Patrol Officer Grant talking to volunteers. VS medical assistant Albert Speer wearing stethoscope giving volunteers a medical examination. MS Speer with Papuans Phillip Asambo(?) and Perry Atan(?). CU medical kit and highlanders watching.

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GS Papuan volunteers with bags and luggage packed gathered on clearing ready to set off on patrol. WS of villagers looking up towards LS patrol plane over mountains. High aerial track over patrol plane over highlands. MS interior shot of pilot and navigator in cockpit. Good air to air shots of patrol plane flying amongst clouds with mountains visible below. WS aerial of misty clouds over mountain ranges.

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Air to air shots of patrol plane flying over mountain ranges with clouds settled into valleys below. Good air to air of patrol plane changing direction through clouds away from camera. MS interior shot of pilot and navigator consulting map in cockpit and aerials over green mountains and river (Strickland?). Air to air of plane through clouds. Aerials over plane flying lower with travelling aerials over clearings and huts POV plane. Aerial over clouds rising toward mountain peaks. Air to air of plane flying away from camera.

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VS patrol leader Sinclair with Papuan locals and station children gathered at Koroba . WS carriers assembled with their packs. GS Phillip and Perry checking bindings on medical boxes. CUs Constable Makwei's children watching with MS Constable packing a bugle. CUs of children. High angle shots of patrol heading off and forming a line through grass. GS families left behind. WS patrol in single line with Sinclair leading followed by Papuan interpreter Elijah.

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WS patrol in single line through long grass with medical assistant Albert Speer and his team in the middle of the line followed by Grant bringing up the rear followed by Koroba men. WS of the highlands landscape with LS to patrol line snaking through the corner of the shot. WS of the patrol at a standstill in waist-length grass, low angle shot to walking in line and MS pan of Papuan carriers gathered together posing sternly to camera. MS of small Papuan man with leaf covering injured eye.

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Tilt from patrol walking in single file out of valley to blue hued mountain top. GS patrol walking uphill through forest and VS men walking through rainforest with CUs to feet over sticks. Birds of Paradise audible. GS men struggling through rainforest with luggage on poles. GS men wading through ankle deep mud. WS of patrol walking through swamp. WS rain falling against backdrop of huge mountain.

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WS patrol walking through long grasses with mountains rising in background. High angle pan over jungle to high shot over tents being pitched for camp. VS Papuans with narrow tree trunks used to pitch tents. GS men carrying cook's provisions box on stick and VS of medical staff in rain coats and natives wearing plant fronds on heads for rain protection. CU local wizard weaving spell against rain motioning with his hand as he blows. WS of misty clouds lifting from green highlands.

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VS medical team inspecting cuts and any other injuries on patrol who are all dressed in the same uniform of pale skirts and dark t-shirts. MS medical officer giving out pills and GS men laughing as pills are thrown into men's mouths. WS of green hills with sunlit misty clouds over landscape in late afternoon light. WS of silhouetted officers with rifles going through flag lowering drill as bugle is played.

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WS looking down to patrol camp on hillside. GS of carriers collecting bundles of kunai grass while Elijah, the interpreter calls to the people in the bush inviting them to bring food and to trade. VS of the people working in hillside gardens then a group arriving at patrol campsite. VS Sinclair and Elijah interviewing villagers to establish a picture of the area. VS of villagers' faces.

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GS neighbouring villagers at the patrol campsite marvelling at the patrol's clothing drying on clothes line. MS of native men closely examining fabrics. Good shots of remote New Guinean tribesmen looking at themselves in mirror for first time and VS piercings, body paint and jewellery. VS of tribesmen and children gathered around James Sinclair in awe as he shows them photographs of groups of people in book.

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GS women and children from remote New Guinean village arriving at patrol campsite with food to sell. Note widows plastered in yellow or grey clay as a sign of mourning. GS two women, one with pig in lap and the other putting her baby in a basket. MS unmarried girls wearing red facial decoration and VS of women receiving salt placed on flat leaves which is used as payment. CU baby with shell necklace around it's neck.

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VS of Patrol Officer Grant in slouch hat supervising patrolmen building. WS line of patrol carrying sheathes of kunai grass up hillside. VS natives beating vines with sticks and binding poles together with the vines. WS Officer Sinclair lecturing patrol group on the danger of mistaking a rifle for a stick. GS of natives cowering as guns are fired at timber as a demonstration. VS of natives inspecting damage made by bullets in the timber.

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MS remote villager with his small son brought in to see the patrol doctor. VS of Phillip Asambo (?) examining the boy's framboesia or yaws (a contageous disease resembling syphilis). GS of growths on boy's back and VS of Albert Speer injecting him with penicillin. GS Perry Atan (?) attending a male villager with several other looking on. CU to arrow head removed from his flesh by Speer. VS of men working on hut of grass and sticks.

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VS Patrol Officer Grant taking book out of his goods chest and sits down flipping through recipes. MS James Sinclair sitting in tent entrance making notes in book. Pan from patrol camp across forest and blue hued hills to distant rainbow. WS highland landscape with clouds in valley. High shot over patrol carriers walking in line and high pan over valley.

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GS elders from patrol calling to highland tribes from hilltop. Pan from high shot over patrol line across green hills and clusters of trees in west Duna country to bark hut with fire burning. VS of Duna tribe with good CU of fire-making with twigs and twine. VS tribal gathering with men smoking green tobacco leaves poked into the end of a bamboo tube. High shots over patrol line through fields and approaching river.

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GS patrol line preparing to cross fast flowing river. GS men cutting long grasses and CU of river flowing. VS James Sinclair and Constable Vi taking lines across the river to make bridge harnessed from river bank as they struggle across rapidly flowing waters. VS men felling trees, throwing ropes and passing timbers across water to build bridge. VS of the patrol line crossing over the roughly built bridge.

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High angle WS over patrol line walking through valley with blue tinted mountains in background. VS of the patrol coming to the Strickland Hills. MS patrol walking past harsh limestone rocks. CU to bare feet and boots walking across jagged edges of limestone. GS of patrol carriers walking up still mountain in grass past limestone with other mountains in background. High shot over the Strickland River and pan across green slopes to jagged peaks and patrol leaders perched on hillside making notes and taking photographs.

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Pan across limestone and green mountains to line of patrol snaking across the landscape. High angle pan across forested mountains and pan across forest to camp being set up. VS carriers and others from the patrol setting up camp, chopping grasses. VS Constable Vi and local boy trading with CUs to bright orange plumes from the Bird of Paradise. VS Constable Pahun setting up seat for pit toilet.

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High shot over police accompanying water boys up hill and GS man binding sticks for table top. WS local tribesmen arriving at camp and line of locals seeking medical attention. MS Albert Speer attending tribesman's teeth. MS to onlookers wearing blue face paint and bones through their noses. GS men washing at waterhole and MS man hanging clothes on clothesline strung between plants. GS men scrubbing mud off boots.

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GS Officer Grant flipping through recipe book asking native cook Joe about making biscuits while looking at illustrations in book. VS James Sinclair seated at desk in tent with radio transmitter calling Tari requesting help with patrol's dwindling supplies. VS men inspecting supply bags and GS men with sticks making a clearing for a drop site laying out lengths of callico as a target for a pilot to aim at. VS men preparing a fire to send smoke signals to alert a plane.

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GS Patrol Officer Grant searching for site for a permanent airstrip. VS Grant and Constable Makwei measuring and marking site WS natives standing on hillside watching activity with backs to camera. VS Albert Speer, Phillip Asambo(?) and Perry Atan(?) recording details of local tribe as they are measured. VS Speer treating young boy on bamboo table and taking blood sample on slide. VS ailments being recorded in ledger. VS rapt onlookers.

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VS James Sinclair conducting a trade with locals exchanging steel tomahawks for pigs. GS men from various localities coming in to visit the camp. VS of fighting erupting between tribes with MS of Sinclair trying to intercede then fires a shot into air while tribes scramble. GS interpreter Elijah settling one clan while a young man from the Hawari family pacifies another. VS tribal leaders and GS of Elijah translating Sinclair to leader Parmi(?) who passes messages on to his clan.

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MS James Sinclair pointing to air as supply plane comes into range. VS of fire being lit and VS native locals looking to air. LS to plane approaching across WS mountain landscape. VS natives raising arms and making yodelling-type noises as plane passes over them. High shot over men running then carrying sacks of supplies back to camp where they are opened. VS rice and tinned meat, medical supplies and axes.

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MS local tribesmen in elaborate blue and red face paint and jewellery smiling broadly and pan to MS Patrol Officer Grant holding plates with two elaborately decorated cakes. CU to tribesman with dried flowers decorating headpiece looking at cakes curiously. GS tribesmen gathered around James Sinclair sitting at desk with radio transmitter reporting back to Tari after supply drop.

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WS with clouds settled over mountain peaks and WS patrol walking in line filmed from behind and GS as party leaders walk past camera followed by constabulary then carriers, the medical team and boys who joined along the way, the cook, more carriers and Patrol Officer Grant at the end. High shot over patrol walking towards distant hills.

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FILM AUSTRALIA COLLECTION

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