Life Through the Lens
Life Through the Lens Photo display at NFSA Canberra
WARNING: this article may contain names, images or voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Film Australia was one of the nation’s leading producers of television documentaries and educational programs.
Our Life Through the Lens photographic showcase, now on display in the Liversidge Space at the NFSA in Canberra, features images from the Film Australia Collection taken during the production of these documentaries.
Capturing life as it was lived
From 1913-2008 Film Australia served as a training ground for some of the biggest names in Australia’s film industry. Fred Schepisi, Phillip Noyce, Peter Weir, Dean Semler, Anthony Buckley, Jan Sharp, Gillian Armstrong, Tim Burstall and many others developed their early careers at Film Australia.
Through the lens of these documentary filmmakers Film Australia captured life in Australia as it was lived. The films record Australians at work, producing music and art, and exploring and cultivating the land. They document changing social and political climates including our relationships with close neighbours like Papua New Guinea, as well as our evolving and maturing understanding of First Australians and their cultures.
Life in Australia has changed significantly over the last century. The collection of over 3,000 productions not only documents daily life but also traces changes in the broader Australian experience.
You can see examples in the photo gallery below:
Three To Go Series: Judy (1969). Film Australia Collection, NFSA title: 46114. In the 1960s the Commonwealth Film Unit expanded beyond pure documentary to drama and docudrama. Judy stars Judy Morris as a young woman from Tamworth, NSW.
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Colonists For a Day (1993). Film Australia Collection © NFSA, NFSA title: 248211. Papua New Guinean man wearing elaborate headdress. Photographer: Chris Owens.
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Dhakiyarr vs the King (2003). Film Australia Collection © NFSA, NFSA title: 595007. Yolngu men painting up for the Supreme Court ceremony in Darwin in memory of Yolngu warrior Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda.
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Film Australia Stills Collection (c.1920). Film Australia Collection © NFSA. An unidentified member of the early Cinema and Photographic Branch pulls a sledge with equipment in the snow.
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Painting People (1965). Film Australia Collection © NFSA, NFSA title: 24616. Artists Margaret Olley and William Dobell in the studio during a portrait painting session.
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An Introduction to Motor Cycling (1976). Film Australia Collection © NFSA, NFSA title: 16495. The film crew mounted handmade dual-angle cameras to simultaneously film the rider’s point of view and the bike’s rear view.
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View more
You can also view the full collection 100 Years, 100 Images in our Flickr album.
Did you know the Film Australia Collection is available as a resource for research and film production? Explore the catalogue at faclibrary.com
Life Through the Lens is currently on display at our Liversidge Space at the NFSA building in Canberra.
Main image: The Edge of the World (1997). Film Australia Collection © NFSA, NFSA title: 337530. Aerial view of river and mudflats. Photographer: Don Featherstone.
More to explore
100 years of Film Australia
A chronology of Film Australia - preserving and providing access to the nation’s documentary record for more than 100 years.
Life in Australia - 1960s footage now in 4K HD
The NFSA has made available episodes of the 1960s Life in Australia series from the Film Australia Collection in stunning 4K HD.
Starstruck Movie Portraits
Starstruck: Australian Movie Portraits explores striking portraits emerging from 100 years of Australian movies and draws extensively on items from the NFSA collection.