After Cook

Made by The Commonwealth Film Unit 1969. Directed by Donald Murray. Narrated by John Meillon. A survey of everyday life throughout Australia, emphasising the outdoor and rural element contrasted with modern, urban living and culture. A look at the Australian people, their character, attitudes and way of life. Every three years or so Film Australia made a general film on Australia. At its most basic the film would have a landscape sequence, then a farming sequence, then transport, then cities, then sport and night life. It would probably contain a mining explosion, a ballet class, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and kookaburras. After the first few films, the makers tried to find a new approach - to present its as a quiz show, or a computer report, or a film script conference. After Cook had as its working title 'Fellow Countrymen'. Helped by the fact that it was made on 16mm with practicable synchronous sound, it is in its final version the warmest and one of the least predictable of all the general 'Australia' films.

[@returnofthenative]

Born 1956, & that's just as I remember it. Thanks.

[@ylilycam]

That's vastly different Oz to the one we have now!.....better then me thinks

[@HGCUPCAKES]

When you wrote this 9 years ago, Australia was better at your time compared to now. Things change sadly for the worst. Mainly thanks to amEricas influence.

[@cindytait2209]

Awesome

[@johnjones.3427]

My uncle was a drover shearer stockman farmer thru broken Hill, Flinders ranges thru to Adelaide.

[@TonyFromSydney]

Cook did not come looking for the legendary continent of Australia, exploring 'New Holland' was an afterthought. While he was in the Pacific Ocean working on the transit of Venus project, he had orders to go searching for "the legendary continent in the south seas". Boffins back then figured that there must be a continent somewhere in the south Pacific to balance all the land mass in the Northern Hemisphere. Well Cook did not find no " Terra Australis Incognita", he found a couple of islands and charted New Zealand. Then Captain Cook decided that on his way home, he would visit New Holland and see what was going on there..Cook knew where he was going, Australia was no secret, he knew he was gonna bump into it. Cook landed on, then charted the east coast of Australia.. and the rest is history.

[@apd8339]

good show Vale John Mellion.

[@GrenadierGuardsDmr]

This is superb natural accurate footage of (mostly Sydney) at that time. So so valuable as a record, and, as NFSA mentions, a shining example compared to more staged documentaries of that period.

[@ItsAllAboutContext]

Great film - thanks

[@robstermclean4467]

Delightful nonchalant optimism.

[@daijones101]

One of the better docos going on life here in 1969. If you were born then or a bit after, you should have a gander.

[@standupstraight9691]

I was a toddler. funny to think the young people here would be in their 70's - 80's...

[@timothy6283]

As a school boy in the 1960’s I could work in local factories in holidays. Then under the Lima agreement our industries were sent to all bongo countries because they weren’t capable of anything productive

[@ylilycam]

Awesome upload btw thankyou very much NFSA

[@standupstraight9691]

Take a gander at the WW2 era blokes. they were tough hard working guys. For those into the surf equipment of the era, you can see how the boards they are carrying reflect the shortboard revolution going on at the time; a mix of longboards with some transitionary shorter designs with less volume and area in the nose.

[@ceeemm1901]

John Meillon could really turn on a posh accent. Different from his "McGooley", "Fourth Wish" and "Crocodile Dundee" performances.

[@jasoncarpp7742]

I didn't know Santa Claus visits Australia. I hope he dresses comfortable, because I understand Christmas in Australia is during the summer, quite a scorcher.

[@bigears4426]

Jason Carpp in australia he wears stubbi shorts and a blue singlet

[@HGCUPCAKES]

You thought Australia was the only country santa didn’t visit. I bet you were on Santa’s naughty list, ALOT!!

[@lffit]

Probably even the French? They almost colonised the place, La Perouse at Sydney, in fact the race was on to beat the pomms; at least the food would have been better? lol

[@Dallas-Nyberg]

The 1960's an early 1970's were great times... Life was relatively simple, but quite functional back then .. for the most part, people respected each other and children were taught to respect their elders.... you felt safe in your home and rarely was there a need to lock your doors. Employment was easy to find, you often started out as a casual and, if you did your job well, you became a permanent employee fairly quickly. The only drugs around were alcohol and nicotine.. ( that was to change by the late 1970's with the emergence of the hippy culture). I, for one, would happily go back and relive that era.

[@Elitist20]

Life has never been simple, and never will be. About the only things I look back on fondly from that time were the chance for career progression, and people making an effort to be well dressed. As for the rest - what if your elders didn't deserve respect? What was it like if you were a woman, or gay, or not white anglo? So much drinking no doubt contributed to over 1000 deaths in 1970 on the roads in NSW alone. Food was boring. And sectarianism was rampant, with a fundamental divide in society between Catholic and Protestant.

[@coldthrills5150]

@@Elitist20 and look at where we are today. The world is a piece of shit, id go back to the 70s and 80s any day

[@Elitist20]

@@coldthrills5150 So you had a great time back then? Well, I'm very happy for you.

[@standupstraight9691]

@@Elitist20 . here he is, I think he turns up in all these NFSA clips to scold us for liking a better Australia.

[@Elitist20]

@@standupstraight9691 These NFSA clips were carefully filmed to present as attractive a picture of Australia as possible to prospective immigrants. They're propaganda, but people treat them as documentaries.

[@biancawilloughby9980]

Claimed it? More like stole it! 🖤💛❤️

[@pollybird7827]

What's with the old fuddy-duddys at the beginning with their funny hats on choosing vegetables Australia was a bit wierd back then 🤭😋

[@standupstraight9691]

You should hope to be like that IF you get there.

[@lilacDaisy111]

15:56 - Beach chicks 16:39 - PAUSE: modern looking white boardies. 16:45 - bush fire near houses 32:15 - Primary school in the outback, segregation free. 42:34 - Surf culture (tiny glimpse). "Some towns ya go to, you can get onto some decent chicks that take you home for tea every night and this sort of thing, ya know? When we were at the Bay, we got free meals every second night, and she bought us a big packet of Corn Flakes, butter and bread. Oh, it was out-of-sight. She put 'em on [unintelligible]." - "We had a really gas time. We stayed there for how long? Six weeks or somethin'." Errrr, poor girl.

[@Elitist20]

'She put 'em on 'er oldies' account.'

[@cindytait2209]

Awesome