ID LocalTitleDescription BriefUpdated
NFSA0029

Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islands Documentaries

A collection of over 3000 items including film, television, photographs and documentation covering a wide range of subjects and issues including traditional life, contemporary life, health, art, music, sport and Indigenous rights such as Land rights.
Coverage: Australia; 1910		30 May 2012
NFSA0027

Animated Documentaries

A collection of over 200 animated non fiction works, interviews, scripts and related material. It includes educational films on subjects such as fire prevention, breeding and rearing diary calves and how radio waves work; Animations of Aboriginal legends and pre-history such as Muttaburrasaurus: Life in Gondwana. The collection also includes interviews with practitioners, scripts and storyboards.
Coverage: United States of America; Australia		30 May 2012
NFSA0028

Armed Forces Documentaries

A small selection of films, photographs and documentation about life in the Armed Forces. The collection covers primarily recruitment and public relations material for the Australian armed forces. Two films about Gallipoli are also included.
Coverage: 1943 - 1990		30 May 2012
NFSA0026

Australasian Gazette Newsreels

The Australasian Gazette newsreels held at the National Film and Sound Archive span over three decades and capture a diverse range of subjects including political and national events, sport and entertainment.
Coverage: Australia; 1915 - 1933		30 May 2012
NFSA0001

Australian Jazz Archive

The Australian Jazz Archive collection has been developed in partnership with state based volunteer Jazz archives and features published recordings of Australian jazz bands and musicians complemented by unpublished recordings, and personal collections from musicians and enthusiasts. The collections stengths include live performances recorded at jazz festivals and conventions and strong coverage of significant individuals from the post war era of Australian jazz. Comprises oral histories, interviews, recorded sound on disc, audio tape, cassette, books, booklets, flyers, photographs, and homemovies with over 6,000 carriers dating from the 1920s until present day.
Coverage: Australia; 1920		30 May 2012
NFSA0025

Childrens Television Collection

This collection of over 9,000 items contains televison programs made for children. Much of the material is produced in Australia but it also includes overseas series such as Flipper. The collection covers drama such as Skippy, cartoons, variety programes eg the Magic Circle club, quiz shows and talent quests including Young Talent Time and wildlife as well as animal programs such as Totally Wild.
Coverage: Australia; 1956		30 May 2012
NFSA0004

Community Radio

A unique collection of radio programs (and television footage) from community stations across Australia dating back to the 1970s. Communties include Perth, Hobart, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Byron Bay, Orange and Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory. Topics include news, current affairs and music of all genres. The collection represents an alternative to mainstream media coverage of news and culture, from a diverse set of perspectives. The earliest community radio program held dates from the 1970s when the Australian Government first issued community radio licences.30 May 2012
NFSA0016

Corrick Family Collection

The Corrick family were vaudeville-style entertainers who toured Australia, New Zealand, and the world in the early 1900s. They screened this collection of approximately 130 short films as part of their performance. The films offer a rare insight into the way Australians first experienced cinema. The collection includes silent novelty, comedy, chase and travel films, only a few of which were made by the Corricks themselves. The rest they purchased.
Coverage: Australia; New Zealand; 1901 - 1914		30 May 2012
NFSA0036

Costume Collection

A collection of more than 150 items of performance costume from Australian film, television and music. The collection includes items from well known films Muriel's Wedding and the Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert; television shows such as Aunty Jack as well as clothing worn by bands and artists including the Wiggles, Midnight Oil, Mental as Anything and personality Ward Pally Austin.
Coverage: Australia; 1960		30 May 2012
NFSA0035

Docudrama Collection

A collection of over 1,000 items including film, television, radio, photographs and supporting documents which dramatise historical and contemporary events and stories. The collection covers of wide range of Australian and International subjects. Examples include events such as the disappearance of Prime Minister Harold Holt, biography such as the Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky, urban history such as the story of Manly and Australian history such as dramatisations of the the early explorers eg James Cook's discovery of Australia.
Coverage: 1930		30 May 2012
NFSA0033

Documentaries about Women

A collection of 150 items including film, television, radio, photographs and documents about of range of women's stories and issues. Items include biographies and profiles of women in business, sport, media, peace movement and feminism. Other areas include, domestic violence, health, birth control and a series of images of hula girls.
Coverage: 1975		30 May 2012
NFSA0010

Documentaries Collection

Over 45,500 titles covering the years from 1920s produced by government departments until the present day. Documentaries are produced non fiction audiovisual programs which creatively depict, interpret, and/or analyse real life issues, people, things and events. They are distinct from actuality footage, as they are always edited, eg SACKING OF WHITLAM GOVERNMENT (radio documentary); THE STREHLOW FILM COLLECTION, THE JOYS OF THE WOMEN (TV documentary), HALF LIFE (film documentary).30 May 2012
NFSA0012

Ephemera Collection

Includes over 17,000 titles of publicity material and press kits for Australian celebrities, organisations, films, television programmes, radio and recorded sound. Pamphlets and flyers and over 1,000 festival programs for film and music events.30 May 2012
NFSA0031

Ethnographic Documentaries

A collection of over 300 items including film, photographs, some television and documents covering aspects of traditional life and culture of peoples primarily from Papua New Guinea, Australia and Pacific Islands. Interactions with Western culture are covered in some items.
Coverage: Indonesia; Samoa; Fiji; Papua New Guinea; Australia; 1949		30 May 2012
NFSA0009

Feature films

This collection of Australian feature films aims to be as comprehensive as possible and would be the most complete collection in the world. It ranges from the first narrative feature film ever made THE STORY OF THE KELLY GANG (1906) up until the present day productions. There are almost 10,000 titles in this collection. A feature film is a full length fiction audiovisual production intended for cinematic and/or television release or home video release. In general this applies to feature films, telemovies and telefeatures over 60 mins in duration. Note that there are exceptions, eg very early silent features which were often less than 60 mins long.30 May 2012
NFSA0030

Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Documentaries

A collection of over 150 items including film, television and documents covering a range of subject and issues including Gay and Lesbian rights, lifestyle, health in particular the AIDS epidemic, music, art and entertainment including Mardi Gras. The collection also includes personal stories and biographies.
Coverage: Australia; 1969		30 May 2012
NFSA0015

Home movies

Audiovisual material which primarily depicts and records personal and/or family life and events of a domestic nature which were not made for the express purpose of public exhibition. The collection numbers almost 8,000 titles dating back to the 1920s and provides an intimate and sometimes quirky look into the lives of middle class and wealthy Australians of the 20th century.30 May 2012
NFSA0006

International Documentation Collection

Comprises posters, lobby cards and still images of mainly American and English film spanning the decades from 1920s onwards. Included in this collection are the Taussig stills a significant photographic collection of over 2,000 images of European and American actors, studios, children, authors, directors and producers from the early half of last century. Apart from the Taussig images, this collection is only available through a manual card index.30 May 2012
NFSA0013

Manuscript

Includes personal, business and production papers from individuals and companies involved in the film, television, radio and music industries.30 May 2012
NFSA0032

Multicultural Documentaries

A collection of over 300 items including film, televison, photographs and documents covering a range of issues including Australian identity and the concept of multiculturalism, the Migration experience from a range of cultures including European, Indian, African, Muslim and Jewish.
Coverage: Australia; 1980		30 May 2012
NFSA0008

Newsreels

Audiovisual series programs devoted to topical news items intended to inform and entertain spanning the period 1910 to 1975. Includes Cinesound Review, Movietone News, Australian Movie Magazine, Australian Diary and silent newsreels such as Australasian Gazette.30 May 2012
NFSA0002

Oral History Collection

The oral history collection captures the personal histories and narratives, the recollections and the musings of the individual women and men who have been part of Australia's audiovisual history. These recollections may be idiosyncratic, flawed or amazingly precise, but in all instances they provide a personal, first hand view of a past that may be otherwise completely lost to future generations. In-depth interviews which focus on a person's life or career, or an organisation's history or activities or part thereof. Oral history interviews are generally conducted for historical research or documentation purposes. Personal memoirs or reminiscences may also be included in an oral history interview. Nearly 4,000 individual oral histories are held in the collection from 1930's to present day.
Coverage: Australia; 1930		30 May 2012
NFSA0005

Posters

A large collection of nearly 14,000 posters and daybills promoting the release of feature films or advertising the performance of a group, artist or event. This collection also includes posters created for the international release of Australian films and features unique artwork and perspectives.30 May 2012
NFSA0011

Radio serials

Radio serials were very popular in the early part of last century particularly before the advent of television in 1956 but continued well into the 1960s. The radio serial collection includes the recorded sound transcription discs and/or the scripts. There are over 35,000 titles in this collection. Broadcast from 1930's until 1960s they were surped by soap operas on the small screen.30 May 2012
NFSA0023

Snowy Hydro Collection

This is a collection of films and footage shot and produced in the main by the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Authority film unit, during construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme between 1949 and 1974.
Coverage: Snowy Mountains, New South Wales, Australia; 1949 - 1974		30 May 2012
NFSA0014

Sound recordings, published

Includes over 165,000 titles published by Australians or about Australians, or with some Australian connection e.g if an Australian was involved in the production of the work. The collection which dates back to the 1890s includes wax cylinders, wire recordings, shellac discs, lacquer discs, vinyl discs, cds and digital files.30 May 2012
NFSA0020

Sounds of Australia Registry

A collection of sound recordings that are important to our collective memories as Australians. The recordings range from what is probably the very first sound recording ever made in Australia the sound of a man imitating chickens (1896) to political speeches, music, radio and advertising jingles.
Coverage: Australia; 1896		30 May 2012
NFSA0007

Still Images Collection

The still image collection of well over 100,000 individual images, includes transparencies, negatives, animation cels, glass slides and photographs. Subject matter ranges from publicity shots of individuals and productions to candid behind the scenes images and ads for the local car yard. The glass slide collection dates back to the 1900s with beautiful hand coloured song slides ranging up until the 1980s when advertisements for the cinema were still produced on this medium. Also within this collection is a subset of polaroid images often taken when scouting locations for shooting films or to assist with continuity during production.
Coverage: Australia; 1900		30 May 2012
NFSA0017

Television Advertising Collection

This collection of over 9,000 items features material produced for promotional advertising and commercial purposes. It includes a wide variety of product advertisements, political campaigns, Government advertising such as anti-smoking campaigns, tourism and events eg the Bicentennial celebrations as well as promotions by television stations for their own programming.
Coverage: Australia; 1956		30 May 2012
NFSA0018

Television Award Presentations and Special Events Collection

This collection of over 700 items primarily contains television coverage of Award presentations and special events. The collection includes television awards in particular the Logies, music awards such as the Rock and Roll Eisteddfod, the ARIA Awards and Film (AFI) awards. Other items include sporting events such as the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the Commonwealth Games, official openings such the opening of the New Parliament House, as well as annual events such as Australia Day celebrations and the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. Also included are advertising awards and beauty contests in particular the Miss Australia Quest.
Coverage: Australia; 1956		30 May 2012
NFSA0003

Television Collection

Possibly the best collection of Australian television production in the world. The collection is broadly representative of Australian production from the early days of television in 1956 to the present. Includes over 200,000 titles of documentaries, telemovies, soap operas, news and current affairs, advertisements, documentaries and series.
Coverage: Australia; 1956		30 May 2012
NFSA0019

Television Current Affairs Collection

This collection of over 13,000 items contains television coverage of current affairs programming and stories from the major television networks. It includes national programs such as A Current Affair, 60 minutes, Four Corners and the 7.30 Report as well as local news items, business segments and International reporting.
Coverage: Australia; 1956		30 May 2012
NFSA0021

Television Documentary Collection

This collection of over 4,000 items contains documentary programs filmed for Australian Television. It covers wildlife including Animal Parade from c1957, Tourism and Australiana such as Across Australia, Australians at War. Health reports such as Casebook produced by the Australian Medical Association and television reports on issues such as Asbestos. Arts and artists profiles and retrospectives such as 40 years of Television. Activism such as womens rights and Land rights. Personal stories such as migration experience.
Coverage: Australia; 1956		30 May 2012
NFSA0022

Television Infotainment Collection

This collection of over 2000 items features television that presents factual material in an entertaining format ie Infotainment. Features programs about travel including tourist destinations in Australia and overseas, activities such as abseiling and fishing. Lifestyle programs such as cooking, gardening, home decorating and pets. Also included are episodes from This is Your Life.
Coverage: Australia; 1965		30 May 2012
NFSA0024

Television Religious Programs Collection

This collection of approximately 100 items covers a variety of religious programs primarily Christian, including televised Devine Service, Billy Graham, Christmas message and instruction. It also includes the television series John Saffran Versus God.
Coverage: Australia; 1956		30 May 2012
NFSA0034

Youth and Teenage Documentaries

A collection of over 100 items including film, television, radio, photographs and documents about a range of youth issues. Issues covered include domestic violence, youth homelessness, unemployment and marginalisation. Other items cover youth attitudes and opinion.
Coverage: 1975		30 May 2012