FILM AUSTRALIA COLLECTION

Title Details

Are You Fair Dinkum

Looks at national identity and the concept of an ÒAustralian way of lifeÓ.
Series : Migrant Experience, The | Episode : 6 | Year : 1983 | Total Duration : 55.5 Minutes | Producer : Malcolm Smith
Director : Ben Lewin |
Archival B&W Movietone footage ÒA Unique Ceremony Inaugurates New Citizenship Act: CanberraÓ of Prime Minister Ben Chifley intercut with archival footage ÒThey Became Australian CitizensÓ. Lord Mayor of Brisbane wearing ermine robes addressing crowd. WS audience listening and MS flags on Town Hall. CUs faces. ÒSong of AustraliaÓ by Peter Dawson played.
Access No. 125379 | 1 min 13 secs | 1940s | Australia | © Film World / National Film and Sound Archive / NFSA | B&W |
Archival B&W Movietone footage ÒA Unique Ceremony Inaugurates New Citizenship Act: CanberraÓ intercut with archival footage ÒThey Became Australian CitizensÓ. ÒSong of AustraliaÓ by Peter Dawson played. Couple walking across lawn and gazing into the distance and voice-over of Queen Elizabeth II speaking of the wonderful opportunities the country offers. MS Australian flag fluttering in breeze on flagpole.
Access No. 133424 | 20 secs | 1950s | Australia | © Film World / NFSA and National Film and Sound Archive | B&W |
Archival B&W Movietone footage ÒA Unique Ceremony Inaugurates New Citizenship Act: CanberraÓ intercut with archival footage ÒThey Became Australian CitizensÓ. Voice-over of Queen Elizabeth II speaking of opportunities the country offers. MS pan of newly arrived migrants on ship, man working in metal factory, man on harvester in field, postman delivering naturalization certificate to migrant woman who drops shopping in excitement. CU certificate.
Access No. 133425 | 19 secs | 1950s | Australia | © Film World / NFSA and National Film and Sound Archive | B&W |
Interview with Rosa Colosimo speaking of problems with identification through nationality. MS interview with Eric Willmot, Principal of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. VS citizenship ceremony with Lord Mayor in robes handing out certificates. Song ÒIs he an AussieÓ by Flotsam & Jetsam used. Mayor handing certificate to Asian woman. Audience singing national anthem. VS mixed race audience and small boy asleep under chair.
Access No. 133426 | 1 min 52 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Interview with Vietnamese woman after citizenship ceremony. Paintings of the Australian bush and wealthy squatter with voice over of Leonard Teale reading poem. Slim Dusty driving in dusty outback from ÒPatterns of Time & DistanceÓ FP23027 and Slim Dusty song. Convoy of caravans in outback heat haze. Interview with Susan Ivemey. Slim Dusty passing two Aborigines walking on road and waving. Zoom out from ute in vast landscape.
Access No. 133427 | 2 mins 1 sec | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
WS outback scrub landscape with mountain range in distance from ÒPatterns of Time & DistanceÓ F/P23027. Archival B&W Movietone footage of Calwell speech with MS Calwell addressing camera. B&W footage from ÒBirth of White AustraliaÓ of couple chopping timber from trees. Interview with Claire Dunne speaking of Irish culture with more Birth of White Australia footage with colonial soldiers and men play-fighting and tussling in bush.
Access No. 133428 | 1 min 47 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA and National Film and Sound Archive and Film World | Colour |
Interview with Dinny O'Hearn in pub. Drawing and photograph of Ned Kelly. Song ÒLord of the DanceÓ heard in background. Pan of old B&W photograph of family or school group standing on timber verandah. Interviews with Claire Dunne and Eric Bogle about the Irish in Australia. B&W footage from ÒBirth of White AustraliaÓ of couples dancing.
Access No. 133429 | 1 min 57 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA and National Film and Sound Archive | Colour |
Track past men drinking at bar in Mildura Working Man's Club raising glasses of beer to camera. One drinker raises fingers to camera. Pair of boys in cowboy hats busking in Victoria Markets playing ÒClick go the ShearsÓ on violin and trumpet. CUs of boys playing and voice over of Leonard Teale reciting ÒA Mate Can Do No WrongÓ.
Access No. 133430 | 44 secs | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Interview with Patsy Adam-Smith in woolshed speaking of mateship. GS man shearing sheep. B&W archival photograph of early wool sorting. WS archival B&W footage of crowd of strikers. WS strikers marching, some carrying banners (HNL1055). Tilt up war memorial in Mildura from roll of names to statue of WWI soldier against blue sky. MS Eric Bogle in concert singing ÒAnd the Band Played Waltzing MatildaÓ.
Access No. 133431 | 1 min 43 secs | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Archival B&W footage of Gallipoli war action and VS Gallipoli harbour. CU newspaper headlines on Allies' attack. Turkish troops on horseback on parade. VS Turkish soldiers in trenches, firing and manning machine guns. British and Australian soldiers running along trenches. Pan across troop encampment on beach. Some footage from ÒAustralia RemembersÓ.
Access No. 133432 | 1 min 1 sec | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © Contact Film Australia Collection Library | B&W |
Interview with Patsy Adam-Smith on the role of mateship during the war. Archival B&W Gallipoli war footage with soldier holding wounded comrade and group of soldiers, some wounded, others attending them. Pan across Sydney Harbour in the 1920s. Soldiers and wounded being carried down gangplank. MS women pouring tea into cups on tressle table laden with cakes. WS soldiers drinking tea.
Access No. 133433 | 42 secs | 1950s | Australia | © Contact Film Australia Collection Library | Colour |
Archival B&W footage of soldiers weaving baskets. Interview with Eric Bogle. Archival B&W photograph of dead bodies with soldiers looking on. WS Anzac Day parade with crowd marching towards camera. High shot over marchers and various views of procession. MS Eric Bogle in concert singing ÒAnd the Band Played Waltzing MatildaÓ.
Access No. 133434 | 1 min 13 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA & Filmworld | Colour |
WS 1982 Remembrance Day ceremony in front of Canberra war memorial. MS elderly couple, man with medals pinned on chest. CU medals with sprig of rosemary, CU faces of veterans in crowd. Naval squad marching and going through drill. Interview with Dinny O'Hearn in pub.
Access No. 133435 | 1 min 12 secs | 1950s | Canberra, ACT, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Opening titles for ÒMarch to NationhoodÓ with tilt down lit up Southern Cross and Ò1788Ó crown. Opening ceremony for 1938 Empire Games. Slow-motion discus being thrown and pole vault, womens' long jump and platform dive. MS woodchop contest. Australian flag being hoisted as women pose on winners podium. MS lifesavers standing at attention.
Access No. 133436 | 1 min 1 sec | 1950s | Australia | © Film World | B&W |
Interview with Patsy Adam-Smith. VS Polish refugees arriving in Melbourne airport, 1982 and being met by Immigration officer who informs them he will take some to Midway Hostel. Interpreter translates for group. MS bus driver and VS Polish refugee families on board.
Access No. 133437 | 1 min 41 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Archival footage from ÒNo Strangers HereÓ with pan along migrants looking out train window. Track past river POV train. VS migrant family looking out train window and track past brick buildings. Family left standing on station platform. Interview with Doris and Herbert Liffman. CU interview with Bertram Wainer and WS 1950s colour footage of Bondi Beach from ÒThe Way We LiveÓ. VS swimmers in surf.
Access No. 133438 | 1 min 39 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Archival colour footage from ÒThe Australian WayÓ with a slow zoom over suburban rooftops. VS man feeding chickens and and using hand mower in front of house from ÒThe Way We LiveÓ. Interview with Herbert Liffman. Archival B&W footage of a couple in their suburban front yard with the man digging and the woman holding a dog from ÒBring Out a BritonÓ.
Access No. 133439 | 1 min 3 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
MS track following Greek Orthodox priest as he walks down vegetable aisles blessing as he goes and waving religious icon as he goes. Comical interview with Alf Garnett interviewing Greek priest in fruit shop. Interview with Bruce Ruxton. Archival B&W excerpt from ÒDouble TroubleÓ showing intolerance to language difficulties.
Access No. 133440 | 1 min 11 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Interview with Despina Taylor about the notion of foreigners. B&W archival footage of Australian soldiers walking around the Parthenon ruins from HNL1420. Track of pub POV behind bar in Mildura Working Man's Club and slow zoom into painting of two drunks in front of pub. Interview with Rosemary Brondolino at her kitchen table.
Access No. 133441 | 1 min 33 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Man placing ÒQuickstepÓ sign on stand and VS band on stage playing as people young and old dance in hall from ÒSaturdayÓ. VS man behind counter serving icecream in double cone to children. Voice over and interview with Bruce Ruxton. Archival colour footage from ÒThe Way We LiveÓ of cars on street and VS FJ Holden driving along hairpin bends in bush. Family having picnic by river.
Access No. 133442 | 1 min 9 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Interview with Dr Egon F. Kunz. Interview with Antoinette Charras. Alf Garnett with group of Greek men asking if they've learnt how to drink beer. CU interview with Tony Bonnici. All speak of the expectation to Òbecome AustralianÓ. Cinesound Review ÒBeauty Contest for New AussiesÓ parading in front of Australian flag backdrop at the Trocadero.
Access No. 133443 | 1 min 24 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA and National Film and Sound Archive and Film World | Colour |
Interview with Sir Billy Snedden. Colour footage from ÒSaturdayÓ with travelling shot following kangaroo bounding across dry landscape and pan to boys following in back of ute with Òthe Holden SongÓ playing and John Laws voice over. VS country football game. MS steaks being cooked on barbecue and zoom to people eating in hotel courtyard.
Access No. 133444 | 48 secs | 1970s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
CUs of child slurping milkshake through straw and eating from plate of chops, chips, peas and potato mash in restaurant from ÒSaturdayÓ. CU bacon cooking in frypan with voice over of Despina Taylor. Colour archival footage from ÒThe Way We LiveÓ of mother carrying teapot over to Anglo-Saxon family eating at dinner table. Interview with Despina Taylor.
Access No. 133445 | 1 min 20 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Archival B&W footage from Australian Diary No. 43 of man fiddling with dial on radio. Interview with newsreader George Donikian, Vivi Koutsanadis and Despina Taylor about their experiences as migrants. Alf Garnett with Greek men mock-talking about language skills. VS English class from ÒThe Helping HandÓ showing adult migrants following instructions from teacher in front of blackboard. CUs migrants pointing and repeating phrases.
Access No. 133446 | 1 min 43 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Interview with teacher David Trembath and VS Trembath in action in front of adult migrant class. VS class in discussion over meaning of set article. CU Asian student wearing crown of gum leaves on head. VS David Trembath having outdoor picnic with students. Archival B&W footage from ÒThey're a Weird MobÓ showing police holding drunken man and having exchange with Nino Culotta which demonstrates language misunderstandings.
Access No. 133447 | 2 mins 10 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA and National Film and Sound Archive | Colour |
Interview with Dr Egon F Kunz then Sir Billy Snedden talking about assimilation. Footage from ÒToulaÓ showing people at tables and MS traditional dancing in Greek Social Club. Children leaving St John's Greek Orthodox College and Antoinette Charras helping young daughters into car. Interview with Charras as children play in playground in background. Interview with Rosetta Sung from Asian background.
Access No. 133448 | 1 min 35 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Pan from designer bed with furry beadspread in furniture showroom to couple looking at it. VS Giovanni Sgro walking accompanied through showroom and presiding over opening ceremony cutting ribbon. Sgro speaking Italian to crowd as he cuts the ribbon and CU Sgro making speech in English. Interviews with Sgro and Al Grassby talking about migrants in politics.
Access No. 133449 | 2 mins 12 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Colour archival footage of Whitlam speech in Italian from podium in Italian Club. Whitlam and Neville Wran Greek dancing with large crowd outdoors on Greek National Day. High shot over dancing crowds. Interview with Al Grassby. CU photograph of Fraser Government ministry posed with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip and zoom to Ian McPhee. Interview with Ian McPhee.
Access No. 133450 | 1 min 6 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA/ ABC | Colour |
Interviews with Bruce Ruxton and Ian McPhee. Camera following Wafa Stephens as she runs through offices of Radio 3EA to recording studio. Shot from control booth , through window to Stephans and others in studio broadcasting. Interview with Tony Bonnici. Zoom to Wafa Stephans broadcasting in Lebanese. SBS commercial with fade in to Channel O logo and performances.
Access No. 133451 | 1 min 20 secs | 1950s | Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Interview with newsreader George Donikian of SBS, Channel O television. CU montage of faces, mainly children for ÒI'm an AussieÓ advertisement. GS inside classroom with teacher jumping with small children and counting. VS teacher in classroom teaching primary school students and pan to separate class in same room with teacher at blackboard.
Access No. 133452 | 1 min 11 secs | 1950s | Australia | © Contact Film Australia Collection Library | Colour |
MS teacher Lorna Hannan speaking to staff of Debney Meadows Primary School, Melbourne about bilingual teaching. Interview with two male teachers expressing concerns about bilingual teaching. VS lively debate between teachers. MS track around group of Turkish parents listening to teacher Leo Overberg explain the possibility of Turkish language being used in class with the help of translator. Pan of raised hands of vote.
Access No. 133453 | 3 mins 26 secs | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Interview with male teacher objecting to encouraging bilingual teaching. Objections to creating a Òlittle TurkeyÓ. Teacher with small Asian boy singing English song in front of classroom. Staffroom discussion about bilingual needs of various nationalities. GS teacher at blackboard pointing to numbers in Yugoslav with children repeating. Teacher singing Turkish song with class. CU to faces of young Asian girl and dark haired girl.
Access No. 133454 | 1 min 52 secs | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Teacher Leo Overberg in playground rehearsing young boys in red & blue Turkish outfits dancing. Interview with Overberg about the conflict between national identity and assimilation. Track of bagpipe band marching at Mildura Redcliffs' Fete. Band reflected on man's sunglasses and CUs players.
Access No. 133455 | 1 min 33 secs | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Track past vineyards. Interior shots of Turkish woman washing up at sink and zoom to Turkish video on television. CU profile of young girl and man watching. Interview with Noel Landis and Tony Trobiani on farm who answer with laughs. Ethel Marr & Max Scamangas advocating deportation migrants growing marijuana.
Access No. 133456 | 59 secs | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Sevel Fouad on farm loading spray from buckets into vat and MS small boy. Man with small boy riding on tractor. Interview with Fouad where he speaks of misinterpretation of Turks in farming community. Group of men speaking in Turkish. Woman and son in shed then track of woman driving tractor through vineyard.
Access No. 133457 | 1 min 41 secs | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
CU interview with Turkish man and VS Turkish grape farmer driving tractor towards camera. Voice over of Shirley Whittaker singing ÒMockingbird HillÓ then MS of her accompanying herself on guitar. Tilt down to small dog on lead wearing red coat barking and turning in circles. GS dog dressed in suit on hind legs performing tricks. MS man at microphone making announcements. GS people at sausage sizzle table.
Access No. 133458 | 1 min 34 secs | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
VS group of Italian dancers and musicians performing at Red Cliffs Fete in traditional costume. Small girl dances then VS older children dancing. GS man playing piano accordian with woman playing tambourine. Archival B&W footage from ÒNo Strangers HereÓ of similar scene at picnic. Man whistling while playing accordian, VS families and young couple discussing being in a new country.
Access No. 133459 | 2 mins 4 secs | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |
Pan from WS Murray River to Ethel Marr and Max Scamangas sitting on river bank fishing. Rear view of scene. CU Antoinette Charras talking about acceptance into the community. Zoom out from Alf Garnett speaking Greek to group of Greek men who all laugh. CU Greek man laughing broadly to camera then smiling. Freeze frame.
Access No. 133460 | 2 mins 53 secs | 1950s | Vic, Australia | © NFSA | Colour |