FILM AUSTRALIA COLLECTION

WS vehicle along road through open countryside. GS truck laden with beehives in boxes along country road. Truck towards camera coming to stop and MS driver untying ropes and offloading hives. VS second man loading beehives onto ground. VS men arranging beehives in rows, levelling them and preparing them for opening. GS man using smoke around hives before opening.

GS man in shorts and singlet getting dressed on bedroll in countryside. GS man cutting binding wire and removing gauze covers on beehives. CU removing cover from base of box and bees emerging. CUs bees feeding on Eucalyptus blossoms. WS tilt up huge eucalypt full of blossoms. GS man in pyjamas getting into bedroll on ground. CU man sleeping.

VS men removing lid from beehive. CU swarm of bees on honeycomb. CU man picking queen bee from honeycomb and putting her into small box for transfer to wire cage. WS of men at new cage and MS man placing queen into new hive. MS man noting move in notebook. CU bees swarming around base of hive. MS man smoking beehives while smoking pipe and not wearing any protective gear.

MS man smoking out beehives while smoking pipe without protective gear and VS sorting boxes. MS extracting honeycomb and lifting other breeding combs which are inspected and replaced. CUs shaking then brushing bees off combs. CUs swarms of bees on ground. VS frames being wheeled on barrow with track to tent. WS and MS of removing waxed caps off frame with heated knife. CU to frames in extractor which removes honey.

MS man turning handle on honey extractor and VS carrying cans of honey to flat top truck. WS truck leaving with load. WS man bathing in river having his partner hurl rocks at him to gain his attention. Man in bathers walking up dirt path to tent and MS eating meal and drinking tea outside tent with partner. CU bees gathered at rivers edge.

VS men packing up beehives by stacking them and wedging frames in hives and wiring hives in stack. WS packed hives and CUs gauzing in the bees. CU profile of younger worker in hat. VS loading lorry then leaving. WS truck along country roads at dusk.