Guide To Canberra

From the Film Australia Collection. Made by the Commonwealth Film Unit 1958. Directed by Colin Dean. In its graceful setting, Canberra uniquely sums up the character of Australia and Australians as the nation's capital. This program was originally intended to provide information to public servants transferring to Canberra. The intended use changed several times and some reshooting/reediting occurred before its release in 1958. You can see what is now the NFSA building at 09:58 which was then the Institute of Anatomy.

[@spinynorman1562]

I grew up in Canberra in the '60s, in a street near the War Memorial. It was a good place to grow up, as kids we didn't think Canberra was boring or sterile. But so cold in winter - sheets of ice everywhere when I was walking to school. I remember my dad filling up the kerosene heater in the evening - glug, glug, glug - and the smell, and the orange and blue flames. Later we got an oil heater but my parents wouldn't put it on until night, and then it took an eternity to heat up. Long, hot, dry summers - we were at "the pool" all day, every day in the school holidays. Most suburbs had their own little shopping centre - just a small supermarket, post office, newsagent, pharmacy, fish and chip shop, maybe a cafe or two, and of course, a "milk bar", where we spent hours tormenting the shopkeepers by fussing over our little purchases - "I'll have one of those (lollies) and one of those, and two of those, no, not those, the ones over there. Now, how much does that come to?" My pocket money in those days was sixpence and you could get a small bag of lollies for that. When decimal currency came in, a bag of hot chips was 10 cents, a meat pie was 20 cents. An icy pole was 4 cents, a proper ice-cream was 10 cents.

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

you're not alone my friend. was the 70s for me. i met tammy fraser in 77 year of the children at "the (masonic) lodge". masons built the great wall of china. royal arch freemasons have a chapter in nambour kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmTcm42EZtZlf7M

[@pyros411]

Thank you both for sharing. I grew up here in the 1980s and I adore Canberra. It's so fine to be able to see this archival footage. I don't think I will ever want to leave.

[@kinasukinasu782]

I was born in Canberra in 1966. 'Lumby's' was my dad's place named after himself (Χαράλαμπος) in Greek - translates to Haralambos or as people remember him 'Harry'. If you skip to 13.22 mins in the clip that is him walking through the restaurant. He was 50 in 1958. Amazing to see it. I still also have that picture hanging in the background at my place now. My mother Xeny told me as we were growing up that Lumby's had the first genuine espresso machine in Canberra. I'm pretty sure that might be correct. Makes for a pretty good yarn anyway. Early Canberra when life was a lot simpler...Good times !!

[@NFSAFilms]

That's a great story. Thanks for letting us know.

[@johnno7052]

Lived in Canberra in the 90's,miss my walks up Mt Ainslie.

[@buda3d2007]

Best time to be there, right mix of nightlife and not overdeveloped like it is now.

[@Hero_Space]

Glad I was born here, it looked so beautiful back then, still is compared to the other states a nice and quite place.

[@fireballfireball1067]

same here. i was born in canberra in 1962, been here all my life

[@nastywitch6]

We arrived in Canberra 4 years after this film was made. Its so quaint to see what was important back then. And omg I even lived in the flats that were featured... Bega Flats in Civic. Canberra still has a good bus system. Very good historical film.

[@alphamone]

The flats look so nice in the film. I wonder when the cladding (or whatever the stuff covering the underlying brickwork is called) got removed. Apparently those flats are being demolished sometime in the near future.

[@HandsomeStranger1963]

I lived in block 7 in the 70s. sad there being demolished. the fence is now around them. the allawah and currongs are already gone.( feb 2018). still got some good footage on my camera last year.

[@HandsomeStranger1963]

PS the interiors were the same in the 70s AC got added later. oh those hot hot summers with the west facing windows. and the hated Caretaker

[@hijazzains]

the bus is very slows...takes 30 min from Belconnen to city....some non main trunk routes are one hour...its now wonder people rather drive or if theyre fit enough cycle

[@AcePanno1]

We moved to Canberra in 1967 from Darwin and I still love it

[@NFSAFilms]

Hi Jason thanks for the feedback. Yes we do have quite a few more Canberra titles and will be posting them here through out the centenary year. They range from the very early films to the 1980s but probably not any 90s material. We have a Canberra playlist so keep an eye on that.

[@mariazorzi9723]

Io ho lavorato al Carigon Hotel dove abitavano i membri del Parlamento ,mio figlio è nato nel 1964 comperato la casa in Watson che abbiamo abitato fino l’anno 1975 quando abbiamo lasciato l’Australia ,ho lasciato la mia Famiglia per tornare in Italia ,Canberra rimarra’per sempre nel mio 💖 😢❤quanti ricordi grazie per sempre 💞💐😘🕊🎄🌈🌞🌏🙋‍♀️👋😘😘😘

[@xtxinx]

From someone that was born in the 00’s, looking back at what the city use to look like is crazy! Like the building structure is the same, but there isn’t any traffic lights, not so many pedestrians and it just looks clean.

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

I was there in 1969 . Tempe primary verses a Queanbeyan NSW primary side , at 🏉 . We flew down . All very exciting . Life was pleasant and fun then . Seems like last week .

[@mattrichardson4351]

Thank you for putting this online ... I lived in Canberra for good part of life and still love it to bits even though I’m in Melbourne

[@NFSAFilms]

You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the feedback.

[@mariazorzi9723]

Siamo arrivati in Canberra nel 1960 ci si ritrovava al Italia Australia Club alla Domenica pomeriggio con parenti ed amici ,mio figlio ha frequentato le elementari in Watson ,il più piccolo e nato nel 1971,quando siamo partiti per Italia parlava l’Inglese meglio di me imparato dal fratello piu grande e i bambini vicini che giocavano assieme ,quanti cari ricordi ❤😢😊🙋‍♀️👋😘

[@rabtrenkz2257]

It was a wonderful place to grow up in ❤️🦋❤️

[@alberttwo68]

Great video, wonderful places! Thank you Australia!

[@maryanne9764]

Great memories!!

[@duncanyourmate2433]

albeit chilly , trying to get as close to mica front ,yellow enamel heaters , how my mum put up with , 'copper' washing/boiling in summer i'll never know ,

[@NFSAFilms]

Yes for most of our films we do have the negs and intermediates. We have been doing a lot of work telecining and digitising from these components in order to give them new life in the digital age. Some are kept at the National Archives of Australia and some by us at the NFSA - see 09:58 for the very building which holds them in Canberra.

[@roryochee]

Look at all those Holdens!

[@jasoncarpp7742]

It looks like a place worth visiting. If I ever visit Australia, hopefully in my lifetime (laughs), I'll make it a point to visit Australia's National Capital Territory.

[@Finn-cz7mv]

did you ever make it to Canberra?

[@jasoncarpp7742]

@@Finn-cz7mv Regrettably, no. I've yet to make it to 'Straya. And the way things are going with this bullshit pandemic, who the hell knows when I'll make it that way?

[@pollyseidler507]

at 6:23-27 min see Harry Seidler designed Bowden House of 1952-54 (for diplomat Mr Bowden) finished in 1954 of 11 Northcote Crescent Deakin ACT. This house is now on the ACT state heritage register since November 2018.

[@NFSAFilms]

Hi Polly, thanks for pointing that out.

[@petergraves2085]

Harry Seidler also designed a set of two-storey townhouses in Campbell, just down Blamey Crescent from the shops (towards Civic).

[@1npag]

Peter Graves and of course the now-demolished ANU townhouses in Garran

[@TechNed]

I sure with we could still buy accessories for the Hotpoint jugs. The plastic on my lid has almost eroded away.

[@glennaa11]

"Canberra mothers appreciate the bus services that take their young children to and from school" !!

[@strayaDaz]

Still do. Many men wish they could do that but they had to work at site. Being a feminist bigot is a joke

[@cfhell74]

Had a sneaking suspicion. Thanks for the clarification!

[@paulnguyen8910]

A new Parliament building opened in 1988.

[@lukepford6369]

Love how green it is then

[@mathiasbuse1186]

A very nice video.

[@blackletter2591]

Naice

[@bigsnappyteeth]

It was Harry Seidler's first commission outside Sydney. At 11 Northcote Cres, Deakin it's known as the Bowden House

[@TheUntamed101]

This is bizarre for someone who has lived 6 years in canberra in much more modern times. Many parts of this are hilarious; like the suicide flats ever being considered a sign of hope for the future. Or the whole ethic of community and government interface being something pleasant and good for people.

[@TenOrbital]

It was a better time.

[@artiii1912]

Ha ha.... My Dad , who lived in QBN and went to "St Eddies" out in Canberra (in the 1960's) would get money for the bus from his parents.....instead of catching the bus, he would keep the money for cigarettes and " hitchhike" to school instead....Go Dad.....😂

[@pixl8me]

Dear Team, is there a fillum on Queanbeyan please?

[@charliesadventures324]

My dads mum and dad came here in 1968

[@thedave7760]

There is no lake.. When did they put the lake in?

[@NFSAFilms]

See our film The Canberra Lake Springtime Sixty-four kzbin.info/www/bejne/raLWqYuKq5yNi80 This is the opening ceremony for the lake in 1964.

[@ACT-bt9xo]

Anyone know what the name of the railed cement mover is? (5:01-5:11) Google has failed me...

[@markpippin5437]

They did it all wrong. The capital should have been placed in Moombooldool which is equally distant, 420 km, from both Sydney and Melbourne as the crow flies.

[@NFSAFilms]

Not too late to move is it?

[@markpippin5437]

@@NFSAFilms No, there is plenty of time. HAHAHA

[@chrisd7437]

Too far inland. I would have picked Eden. On the coast, with the second deepest harbour in the southern hemisphere.

[@honeststu99]

420

[@TenOrbital]

@@chrisd7437 - They didn’t want a coastal site for fear of enemy attack. When the war with Japan began, the army even rigged the Clyde pass with explosives to destroy the road in case the Japanese landed at Bateman’s Bay. The hole where ‘Pooh corner’ is now (used to be ‘lyre bird corner’) is where they packed the explosives.

[@pauljamieson4210]

👍👍

[@jennycarlin598]

I remember this Canberra so well - and I love hearing Canberra and Australia pronounced properly rather than today's bastardised versions of 'Cambra' and 'Australya' that I hear so often on the radio and TV (including the ABC).... my pet hates.

[@seeradog]

I second that robo ... Lol. Like a movie set .. Been there once . Never go back ..

[@thornbird6768]

Canberra is the least talked about and least populated capital city in the world ! It looks lovely and even in today's modern times just as nice . But it doesn't have that capital city vibe about it .

[@marcopolo3001]

You know what else would see its rapid development? High speed rail, so lets get cracking Australia! Just saying.

[@jasonmackinnon4552]

What has happened to Australian society over the past sixty years? The people in this presentation all look content with their lives and appear have civic pride. What have we got now? Selfish individualistic people who think the world owes them. See how happy the children living in the 50s are to attend school? These days it's a chore to get them to school. No Emos in this presentation! Bring back the lifestyle and the respect from these wonderful days. By the way, I'm in my early thirties..

[@alphamone]

There would have been quite a few beatniks and greasers though.

[@dons634]

Jason MacKinnon lol, cmon mate. This is a film promoting Canberra, of course they're going to make Canberra look as good as possible. I doubt they're going to show kids bullying each other, the racism, or anything negative.

[@Elitist20]

I'm in my 50s, and look back on the old days less fondly. This is like the other Commonwealth Film Unit films of the period, designed to make Australia look good (many were aimed at migrants). And NFSA Films - could you please remove the racist comments?

[@julianrolheiser6061]

Elitist20 I wonder, from your view what was Australia actually like behind the superficial promotional videos it had shown back in the day?

[@spinynorman1562]

@TheJimmy Communism! lol

[@vladsnape6408]

0:44 "..its sense of responsibility" - lol, what a joke. It is full of public servants and politicians who spend their entire working lives avoiding any responsibility.

[@TenOrbital]

Yes, that must be why Australia is like Sudan and Canberra is like Beirut.