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Balloons and Spinifex

The building of Giles Weather Station in the Western Australian desert, showing the work of the men who run it and the use made of their reports to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Year : 1958 | Total Duration : 38 Minutes | Producer : Shan Benson
Director : Ian Dunlop, John Gray |
A woman releasing two weather balloons for the launch of Balloons and Spinifex. Three men standing on an awning above a cinema filling a weather balloon with helium for the launch of Balloons and Spinifex. Three men standing on an awning above a cinema filling a weather balloon with helium for the launch of Balloons and Spinifex.
Good WS of Australia outback, dead trees, dirt gullies, eroded soil around tree roots, red earth, blue sky, dead branches against a blue sky background, wide flat red plains, desert country, full screen of blue sky with whispy white cloud, waterholes, good CU of small desert flower against red earth, full screen desert flowers, VS of pepper trees, ghost gums, ECU of ants on sandstone rock and on red anthill, CU of thorny mountain devil lizard, CU of eagle head,
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Access No. 127423 | 1 min 40 secs | 1950s | Rawlinson Range, Around Giles Weather Station, Central Australia, WA | © NFSA | Colour |
Aboriginal man picks up a spear; Aboriginal group of adults and children walking along a ridge, some carrying spears, some holding babies and carrying bark container on head. High angle shot of small child digging a hole with small implement, family group in traditional clothes , children playing, throwing spear grass and dirt, women collecting water from waterhole, collecting witchetty grub from large hole in ground. CU of child eating witchetty grub and drinking, gathering with elders and telling traditional stories.
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Access No. 129998 | 1 min 32 secs | 1950s | Aboriginal Reserve, Warburton Range, Central Australia, WA | © Restricted Access - Contact Film Australia Collection Library | Colour |
VS of desert landscape in Central Australia, spinifex grass, gum trees, pan to Giles Weather station. Albert Carroll and VS of builders working on the construction of Giles International Weather Station. Drilling rig finds water, laying pipes, Albert Caroll taking midday observations, foreman Andy Hume, CU of equipment, crane used to transfer heavy equipment. CU on bags of cement
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Access No. 129999 | 3 mins 5 secs | 1950s | Rawlinson Range, Around Giles Weather Station, Central Australia, WA | © NFSA | Colour |
Aboriginal woman barefoot and wearing dress with cardigan carrying small child and water carrier on her head and being followed by another child. Herd of goats and horses, Aboriginal stockman on horseback, Aboriginal woman milking goat. Group on workmen sitting around a two way radio. Map of Australia showing the Central region bordering Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. VS of workmen's faces.
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Access No. 130000 | 1 min 19 secs | 1950s | Aboriginal Reserve, Warburton Range, Central Australia, WA | © Restricted Access - Contact Film Australia Collection Library | Colour |
MS Aboriginal man in akubra and khaki shirt. Heavy earth moving trucks depart. WS of kangaroos hopping in distance, pan past windmill, CU on truckdriver at wheel, truck driving along water filled track, truck along muddy road, Kangaroo hopping across path of travelling vehicle, CO of truck tyres bogged in mud, men dig out truck stuck in mud. Men communicationg on two way radio. Plane bogged in muddy earth. CU propellor turning and huge dust cloud behind plane in take off on dirt runway.
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Access No. 130001 | 3 mins 9 secs | 1950s | Aboriginal Reserve, Warburton Range, Central Australia, WA | © Restricted Access - Contact Film Australia Collection Library | Colour |
Camp site with large tents for workmen on Giles Weather Station construction. Line of workmen at urn for cups of tea. Small dogs at men's feet.VS of men's faces. Albert Carroll collecting weather report information.. CU of aerial. Builders constructing weather station. Digging bogged truck out of mud. Camel trek, low angle MS of camel's head. Men playing cards around a campfire. Good shot of billy on the campfire. Cooking spaghetti on campfire.
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Access No. 130002 | 3 mins 7 secs | 1950s | Rawlinson Range, Around Giles Weather Station, Central Australia, WA | © NFSA | Colour |
Good WS of outback landscape of low salt bush and mountain range in distance. Convoy of earth moving trucks. Red dirt outback track POV of driver, kanagroo hops inpath of truck. VS of builders at work constructing weather station, laying concrete, camp kitchen and cooks, old wood stove, man having a shower under a makeshift camp shower. CU of dog being bathed. Men washing clothes in coppers, men lining up for dinner and eating under a marquee. Man hand feeding a baby kangaroo joey.
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Access No. 130003 | 4 mins | 1950s | Rawlinson Range, Around Giles Weather Station, Central Australia, WA | © NFSA | Colour |
WS of sunset, clouds and single tree in silhouette against orange sky. Men sitting around campfire, playing cards, writing reports in tents, bedding down.
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Access No. 130004 | 1 min 21 secs | 1950s | Rawlinson Range, Around Giles Weather Station, Central Australia, WA | © NFSA | Colour |
Newly constructed Giles Weather Station, workman on his way to the shower, aerial view of the weather station. MS of man in shower. Cook in kitchen, men in dining room, man watering lawn, birds in wire aviary, Harry trapping birds for aviary. Sending up hydrogen balloons for measuring temperature, humidity. Thomas setting up recording gear. Theodolite. Radar van tracing hydrogen balloon in sky
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Access No. 130005 | 7 mins 4 secs | 1950s | Rawlinson Range, Around Giles Weather Station, Central Australia, WA | © NFSA | Colour |
Tilt down to WS of Melbourne, Yarra River, ribbon typewriter typing letter, men in office recording information on charts and maps, weather maps on wall, forecasting charts. Man practising clarinet playing in bush and CU on man writing letter. Mail truck arrive at Giles Weather Station camp. Man loading old round washing machine with wringer, man having haircut, VS of outback
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Access No. 130006 | 5 mins 22 secs | 1950s | Melbourne, Vic and Giles Weather Station, Central Australia, WA | © NFSA | Colour |
Aboriginal rock art, Glen Cumming Gorge , in Rawlinson Range. Men climbing rock face. Pan across ridge of Rawlinson Range. Aboriginal camp and CU of Aboriginal man's face. Native Affairs officer, Bob McAuley visits Aboriginal group in Land Rover. Aboriginal man carving spear. Man lifts baby onto his back and walks away from camera. Group of Aboriginal men walk through bush with spears hunting, reading tracks left by animals, hunting and spearing kangaroo, carrying dead kangaroo back to camp.
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Access No. 130007 | 3 mins 51 secs | 1950s | Aboriginal Reserve, Warburton Range, Central Australia, WA | © Restricted Access - Contact Film Australia Collection Library | Colour |
WS towers of Giles Weather Station; weather men relaxing, drinking beer, taking weather readings at night, balloon being released at night
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Access No. 130008 | 1 min 35 secs | 1950s | Rawlinson Range, Giles Weather Station, Central Australia, WA | © NFSA | Colour |
National Film and Sound Archive - Australia