Told through a unique collection of iconic archival footage brought to life in stunning colour for the very first time, Australia in Colour tells the story of how Australia came to be what it is today. Narrated by Hugo Weaving, the series is a reflection on our nation’s character, its attitudes, its politics and its struggle to value its Indigenous and multicultural past. Australia in Colour gives us a chance to look at Australia’s history from a fresh perspective. This four-part series curates classic historical footage, as well as home movies and never-before-seen archival material to chart how Australia has developed as a nation. From the oldest surviving footage captured in Australia – in 1896 in Sydney’s Prince Alfred Park – to the beginning of colour television in the mid-1970s, each sequence has been lovingly restored and colourised with historical accuracy. The effect is remarkable, bringing to light history that is both shared and deeply personal.
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Agriculture, manufacturing, and a growing population supplemented by immigration, transform Australia into a prosperous nation over the course of a century. There are growing pains and challenges, including war and Depression, but there is also the birth of iconic brands such as Myer, Bushells, and Vegemite.
Those in authority in Australia at the time of Federation envisage a prosperous and civilised nation of hardworking citizens. But modern Australia grew out of a drunken penal colony and people remain under the thrall of alcohol and drugs and are fascinated by murder and mischief. But the public do rise up against capital punishment and it is abolished national wide.
Sport and the arts are imported from Britain and are already embedded in society at Federation in 1901. Fuelled by sunshine and leisure time, homegrown heroes emerge, including Phar Lap, the Australian cricket team, surf lifesavers, Dame Nellie Melba and the hit films that perpetuate and reflect Australia’s character.
Soon after Federation, the family unit is buffeted by world conflicts, poverty and disease, but then new attitudes sweep in. Workplace laws are less restrictive on women, spouses no longer have to give a reason to divorce, and the contraceptive pill arrives, all of which leads to a loosening of rigid gender roles.
Told through a unique collection of iconic archival footage brought to life in stunning colour for the very first time, Australia in Colour tells the story of how Australia came to be what it is today. Narrated by Hugo Weaving, the series is a reflection on our nation’s character, its attitudes, its politics and its struggle to value its Indigenous and multicultural past. Australia in Colour gives us a chance to look at Australia’s history from a fresh perspective. This four-part series curates classic historical footage, as well as home movies and never-before-seen archival material to chart how Australia has developed as a nation. From the oldest surviving footage captured in Australia – in 1896 in Sydney’s Prince Alfred Park – to the beginning of colour television in the mid-1970s, each sequence has been lovingly restored and colourised with historical accuracy. The effect is remarkable, bringing to light history that is both shared and deeply personal.
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