Ngadlu tampinthi ngadlu Kaurna Miyurna yartangka. Munaintya puru purruna ngadlu-itya. Munaintyanangku yalaka tarrkarriana tuntarri.

We acknowledge we are on Kaurna Miyurna land. The Dreaming is still living. From the past, in the present, into the future, forever.

Cultural Sensitivity Warning
It is a condition of use of the cultural components of the Museum Archives that users ensure that any disclosure of information contained in this collection is consistent with the views and sensitivities of Indigenous people. Users are warned that there may be words and descriptions that may be culturally sensitive and which might not normally be used in certain public or community contexts. Users should also be aware that some records document research into people and cultures using a scientific research model dating from the first half of the twentieth century, and depicts people as research subjects in ways which may today be considered offensive. Some records contain terms and annotations that reflect the author's attitude or that of the period in which the item was written, and may be considered inappropriate today in some circumstances. Users should be aware that in some Indigenous communities, hearing names of deceased persons might cause sadness or distress, particularly to the relatives of these people. Furthermore, certain totemic symbols may also have prohibitions relating to the age, initiation and ceremonial status or clan of the person who may see them. Records included may be subject to access conditions imposed by Indigenous communities and/or depositors. Users are advised that access to some materials may be subject to these terms and conditions that the Museum is required to maintain.
Accept

Barkley Tablelands

00:05 East over the Barkley Tablelands to Alexandria via Eva Downs, Anthony’s Lagoon and Brunnette Downs.

00:11 Wide shot of a wide and winding lake.

00:18 Blue truck parked on a gravel road surrounded by flat, empty scenery of low brown grass.

00:30 Perspective from the front of the car, slowly travelling along gravel road towards a herd of cows as they block the road. The truck slowly travels through the heard as they disperse in all directions a head of them.

00:54 Two horses and two Australian Aboriginal men can be seen on the side of the road briefly as the truck drives past.

00:55 Close up of some local yellow flora.

01:03 An older women in a white hat and blue dress stands next to a sign reading; Anthony Lagoon Police Station, NT.

01:09 Truck approaches a farm.

01:16 Truck drives past a homestead on the left hand side.

01:19 Farm windmill on the banks of a nearby river.

01:32 Quick panning shot of the outside of a homestead.

01:35 Three men tow a truck out of the muddy bog.

01:54 A group of Australian Aboriginal women and children stand together in front of the camera talking to the older women wearing the blue dress. (note, no sound)

02:12 She holds of the younger Aboriginal children in her arms, smiling and looking towards the camera.

02:22 A plane travels along flat, empty land after having landed, coming to a stop right in front of the camera.

02:43 An Australian Aboriginal man strikes two rocks together before reaching around and appearing to cut himself with it, dripping the blood onto the ground.

03:01 He then continues to place a white sticky substance in a square around this knee and along his leg.

03:09 The man then applies a type of red glue on this other leg before applying the white feathers(?) which are now being applying on his torso.

04:05 Standing up, the Aboriginal man places the final touches on his body decorations.

04:10 Returning to Alice Springs Via Rockhampton Downs. Mt. Isa road – and Tennant Creek, we complete a 3,200 mile motor tour.

04:17 Four Australian Aboriginal children play in the yard of a large house. They see the camera and quickly line up for a shot before the camera pans away towards the house.

04:23 The four children line up in front of the camera again.

04:31 Panning show of a desert outback. Low green-brown grass in red sand can be seen before a slight incline of rocky landscape in the background. A woman wearing a scarf over her head and blue dress is briefly visible on the left before the camera begins to pan back in the opposite direction.

04:41 Truck travels along the toad and is halted by a herd of cows blocking the road with the drover on horseback trying to clear them out of the way.

04:55 Clear of the cows, the car continues its journey along a bitumen road around a bend with a monolith structure visible in the near distance.

04:58 A shot taken from a height looking down on a small town. Shots taken from a similar angle are repeated of the local landscape.

05:23 Flat dusty valley with lush, green trees in the middle, surrounded by looming hills. The camera slowly pans towards the right revealing the small town (Alice Springs?) nestled between the many trees.

05:56 View of mountain from across the road. Zoomed in shot follows.

06:03 Quick shot of storage vats. The camera them pans up the neck of a long crane lifting a water vat on top of a tower. Two men stand on the platform pulling and guiding the vat on with ropes. Three Australian Aboriginal men stand below watching.

06:21 A small group of Australian Aboriginal girls stand facing and smiling at the camera in empty landscape with the mountain behind them.

06:27 We all leave for a picnic at Emily Gap

06:35 Three white women, a man and young boy gather together facing the camera and getting into the car go on their picnic at Emily Gap.

06:42 Cave carvings can be seen on the red rock from a distance at Emily Gap.

06:52 A woman in green and two young children stand by a small lake facing the camera before standing amongst the rock and boulders nearby.

07:06 Steady shot of the lake and rock-face near it.

07:11 A man in a white shirt and khaki shorts stands next to the cave carvings in the distance, facing the camera.

07:14 A native rubs the witchety grub stone at Emily Gap to create more grubs.

07:24 A large mountain with an Australian Aboriginal man walking along the bottom right on the screen in the distance, appearing very small.

07:35 The man climbs on the boulders before crouching down to rub a stone against the roc k-face of the boulders. His spear and shield beside him.

07:44 Southward bound we bid farewell to those glorious sandhills and colourful mountains ever changing and every beautiful.

07:49 A man holds the man of a young girl in a red cardigan looking up and the camera.
He and a group of others wave the train off, from where the film is being shot.

07:58 From the perspective of the side of the train, the camera looks back at the large crowd of people and cars waving them goodbye.

08:03 The train travels through the town, passing houses and businesses before being clear of the town and surrounded by the flat, sparse outback landscape.

08:18 The camera looks behind to reveal the long train weaving its way around a red-rock mountain. A boy can be seen handing out the side of the railcar ahead and a car traveling along the road nearby.

08:50 Shots of the red sandy landscape, sparely populated other than by some flora and mountain ranges in some near distance shots.

09:49 A dark landscape lies ahead, presumable at dusk.

09:56 The setting sun is clearer as the camera adjusts to it surroundings.

10:03 The next morning, the train is still travelling along through the red outback. Random balls of spinifex are seen along the ground along with the odd telegraph pole.

10:25 The train bridge is very quickly visible as the camera looks back on itself.

10:29 A sign reading Peake Creek is slowly passed by.

10:35 A single tombstone with a white cross surrounded by a low wooden fence can be seen on the side of the rail tracks. No other details about this are visible.

10:40 People alight from the train at a small town. Three people are seen jogging away from the train towards the houses before all coming back again with what looks like bottles and provisions.

10:59 A coastline is quickly seen before a return to the red, dusty empty landscape of the outback.

11:14 A narrow lake is passed.

11:21 Our two trips totalling 11,000 miles leaves us with a greater appreciation of our marvellous heritage. Australia.

11:29 Night-time covers barely visible mountains in the background, turning the sky a deep blue colour before the train journey continues along in the daytime. The mountains coming closer and more defined.

11:33 The Australian Red Ensign flies high.

11:38 Film turns black.

11:46 End of film.

CreatorFrederick Roy Vyse
ControlAA 353/5/6
Date Range1947  -  1947
Quantity   1   Film, 16mm, colour
Series AA353/5