As one half of the 'Leyland Brothers’, Mike Leyland traveled through the Australian outback when it was still something of a remote frontier and largely unknown to most Australians living in urban areas. The Leylands became household names and pioneers in Australian television documentary filmmaking. In 1956, 15 year old Mike won a drawing competition, the prize was a trip to the Olympic Games in Melbourne. His father bought him a movie camera and Mike recorded his experiences, even making his own opening and end credits.