Australian history is full of tales worth telling. They range from Europeans' first arrivals to our nation's darkest times.
This article presents movies based on Australian history, Each story is fictionalised, to some degree, but the most important facts underpin every tale.
| 🎥 Film title | 📆 Year | 🎬 Director | ⭐ Starring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ten Canoes | 2006 | Rolf de Heer | Crusoe Kurddal Jamie Gulpilil Richard Birrinbirrin |
| Eureka Stockade | 1946 | Harry Watt | Chips Rafferty Jane Barrett Jack Lambert |
| For the Term of His Natural Life | 1927 | Norman Webb | George Fisher Eva Novak Dunstan Webb |
| The Kelly Gang | 2003 | Gregor Jordan | Orlando Bloom Heath Ledger Naomi Watts |
| Gallipoli | 1981 | Peter Weir | Mel Gibson Mark Lee |
| Rabbit Proof Fence | 2002 | Phillip Noyce | Everlyn Sampi Tianna Sansbury Laura Monaghan |
| The Proposition | 2005 | John Hillcoat | Guy Pierce Danny Huston Ray Winstone |
| Evil Angels | 1988 | Fred Schepisi | Meryl Streep Sam Neill Bruce Miles |
| The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith | 1978 | Fred Schepisi | Tommy Lewis Freddy Reynolds Ray Barrett |
| Australia | 2008 | Baz Luhrmann | Nicole Kidman Hugh Jackman Brandon Walters |
Ten Canoes - 2006
What It's About
An older man realises his younger brother covets his younger wife. He calls on the past to tell the story of the present, hoping the younger man will understand the parable. On another level, a man wrongly accuses a rival tribe of kidnapping his wife. He must pay a just price for the false accusation.
How it Reflects Australian History
It's a story within a story, where the personal and the political overlap. It shows society before Europeans arrived in Australia, describing how disputes were settled and how life lessons were taught.
Why It's Important
For anyone looking for movies about Aboriginal Australia, this is a must-see film. It presents a tale in the oral tradition, made publicly accessible. Having a front row seat to Indigenous storytelling underscores the criticism of our Australia Day celebrations.
Eureka Stockade - 1946
What It's About
In 1854, Gold Rush miners at the Ballarat mine struggle for their rights against a government that oppresses them.
How it Reflects Australian History
In 1851, the height of the Gold Rush, people poured into Australia. British rulers in Victoria clamped down on the stampede by imposing high fees on mining licenses. They also sent in the military, to maintain control.
The film closely follows actual events, including the miners blockading themselves into the Eureka Stockade.
Why It's Important
This film presents a defining moment in Australian history. It shows the Crown's power steadily eroding, as the people in Victoria decided legal matters on their own. This rebellion was one of the first steps towards Australian independence.
For the Term of His Natural Life - 1927
What It's About
A wrongfully accused man attempts to escape from the harsh conditions in a penal colony.
How it Reflects Australian History
This film draws on Marcus Clarke's fictional novel, but the book has its roots in fact. Many convicts were, indeed, wrongfully accused, and many tried to escape. Conditions in prison colonies were very harsh, and life was more brutal than the film depicts. Many hold that this title is the best of the Australian convict movies.
Why It's Important
This silent film was meant to launch Australian studios onto the world stage. Unfortunately, it reached global audiences just as 'the talkies' took over cinemas. So, it never found the audiences it deserved.
Still, it remains one of Australia's most famous - and most expensive, Silent Era films. This story is so important to Australian history that it was remade into a miniseries, in 1983. This clip is from that newer version.
Ned Kelly - 2003
What It's About
It tells the story of Ned Kelly, the famous bushranger and outlaw.
How it Reflects Australian History
Ned Kelly earned merit as a boy, for saving a life. However, his father's convict background haunted him, and he never could escape police harassment. The Kelly Gang fills Australian lore with the violence and prejudice so prevalent in their day.
Why It's Important
Ned Kelly is a national symbol. His legend stands as a hero for all the downtrodden, a type of Robin Hood figure who escaped oppression. For many, he represents the Aussie spirit of independence, and resisting authority.
Gallipoli - 1981
What It's About
Young Australian men volunteer for military service in the Australian Army. They land at Gallipoli to face the ruthless and determined Ottoman fighters.
How it Reflects Australian History
Of all the movies based on Australian history, this one hits closest to home. Gallipoli, though a globe-impacting event, is a personal matter to many Australians. Director Weir mostly stayed true to the facts, despite the controversy over some of the film's finer points.
Why It's Important
The historical events this film depicts is the reason we observe Anzac Day.
Rabbit Proof Fence - 2002
What It's About
Three girls are taken from their Jigalong home, and sent to a far-away 'Native settlement'. There, they are made to pray, speak, and live as directed. Unwilling to conform, they flee the settlement and head towards home. They face betrayal and danger every step of the way.
How it Reflects Australian History
The Lost Generation is our ancestors' most shameful legacy. The cruelty and arrogance of presuming the right to shape Indigenous Peoples' lives is on full display in this movie.
Why It's Important
The Australian film catalogue doesn't list many Aboriginal movies based on true stories. This one is rooted in fact, as the film's epilogue tells us.
The Proposition - 2005
What It's About
An outlaw faces the impossible choice of killing his older brother, or allowing his younger brother to be killed.
How it Reflects Australian History
Race, class, and colonisation are all aspects that shaped Australia. The film's brutality and violence reflect the lengths people would go to instil and maintain those boundaries.
Why It's Important
Though set at Christmastime, this movie does not depict standard Australian Christmas activities. However, it well portrays the lawlessness of pre-Foundation Australia, and the hard life in the Australian outback.
Evil Angels - 1988
What It's About
A two-month-old baby disappears from the family tent during a camp-out in the Northern Territory. Accusations fly as authorities try to determine what happened to the child.
How it Reflects Australian History
Lindy Chamberlain's arrest and imprisonment reflect Australia's grim past. In the early days of European settlement, many falsely accused convicts filled Australian penal colonies. Often, they were convicted on flimsy or outright fabricated evidence, as Lindy was.
Why It's Important
The initial inquest's findings into Azaria Chamberlain's death were broadcast across Australia, the first time such had ever occurred. More importantly, her case spurred the legal system to be more thoughtful in considering evidence. Also, this case opened the 'trial by media' debate, as most of the media coverage was biased against the Lindy.
The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith - 1978
What It's About
A reverend and his wife foster a child, hoping to give him a good start in life. Now grown, he tries to make a life for himself, but he is a permanent hostage to his heritage. Tired of being cheated at every turn, he strikes back.
How it Reflects Australian History
European settlers were convinced they could erase an entire cultural legacy and imprint 'acceptable' values. On the other hand, even 'imprinted' Indigenous Peoples endured discrimination and violence. The true story of Jimmy Governor lays bare that duality, and its terrible consequences.
Why It's Important
None of Australia's public holidays commemorate bushmen, or their contributions to Australian society. Often, Australian films portray them as outlaws, overlooking their customs and ways of life. Most importantly, those stories overlook the reasons why people choose the bush life.
Australia - 2008
What It's About
Australia's Northern Territory was a rugged scene at the start of the Second World War. There, a woman who inherited a cattle station stands alone against predatory cattle barons. To fight them off, she enlists a hardened stock man.
How it Reflects Australian History
This story is wholly fictional, but put together from pieces of historical fact. Unlike happy Easter tales of fun times and redemption, this film delivers only grit and hardship.
Why It's Important
This film weaves together many strands of the Australian historical record, including the bombing of Darwin, and sending Aboriginal children away. It bundles these stories in an enticing package, so that even moviegoers unaware of Australian history will learn about them.
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
