Leading up to Melbourne Cup season, this retro television ad for Woman's Day magazine shows a 30-second slice of life in Australia in 1982.

Using a race-calling style the ad spruiks its cover stars – Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips (both equestrians) – and top stories relating to sport, royalty, horseracing and sewing.

You'll find plenty of other Melbourne Cup material from the 1890s to the 1980s on our website.

You can step back in time with historic silent footage of the 1896 Melbourne Cup – one of the first films ever recorded in Australia, and learn more about Phar Lap in the curated collection about the beloved racehorse. Or see an animation of a flipbook of the 1897 Cup race.

You can watch Melbourne Cup races from 1915 and 1924 or listen to Ken Howard calling the 1941 Cup.

For something completely different, TV personality Jeanne Little treats us to her fantastic edible Melbourne Cup hats (clue: they involve frankfurters, french fries and crumpets!).

The main image is from A Case For Books, (1966). Film Australia Collection © NFSA.