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Tasmanian time capsule

A slice of life in Tasmania from 1903 to 2008

Beth Taylor

To celebrate the 'Apple Isle' here are a range of films featuring Tasmania, dating from 1903 to 2003.

If you have any information about the people or places in these films, we would love to hear your comments.

Fanny Cochrane Smith, 1903Image courtesy of the Tasmanian Museum.

Performed by Fanny Cochrane Smith, these are the first and last recordings of Tasmanian Aboriginal songs and language. Recorded by Horace Watson between 1899 and 1903 on wax cylinders.

1911 Tasmanian State Premiership football match – Cananore v North Launceston. Tasmanian Football and Other Scenes, c1911-1925, NFSA #11747. Please note: this clip is silent.

Australian Diary 43: The Fine Art of Trout Fishing (1950). Directed by Jack S Allan. Produced by The National Film Board. Part of the NFSA’s Film Australia Collection.

A short, cheerful study of the preparation and skill required to catch trout.

Picturesque Tasmania (1933). Produced by G.A. Gamon. Made by the Cinema Branch of the Department of Commerce. Part of the NFSA’s Film Australia Collection.

A driving tour of Tasmania, showing a number of towns from Hobart along the western, northern and eastern coasts.

Life In Australia: Hobart (1966). Directed by Donald Anderson. Produced for the Department of Immigration by The Commonwealth Film Unit. Part of the NFSA’s Film Australia Collection.

Shows scenes illustrating daily life, industry, recreation and the tourist features of Hobart, Tasmania. As it follows the postman on his daily rounds it provides a description of Hobart and surrounding districts, which are crowded with historic buildings and monuments dating back to the first settlers and convicts.

Life In Australia: Launceston (1966). Directed by Peter Young and John Edwards. Produced for the Department of Immigration by The Commonwealth Film Unit. Part of the NFSA’s Film Australia Collection.

A picture of life in Launceston in the mid-1960s.

Viewpoint on Hobart (1975). Directed by Barry Williams. From the Viewpoint series. Produced by Film Australia. Part of the NFSA’s Film Australia Collection.

A film about the city of Hobart, Tasmania, as seen through the eyes of European migrants. Beautiful observational footage of Hobart, nearby agriculture, factory work, schools and shops. One man says poignantly in voice-over:

"When we left our own countries, we pulled up our roots, and we personally will be migrants until the day we die. We will strive to obtain citizenship. That’s as far as we can assimilate … We will always remain Europeans and we don’t want to become anything else. We only want to live our lives in this beautiful country, where we have space, clean air and far less pollution than over in Europe and we want to be left in peace."

Tasmanian-themed titles are available for sale from the NFSA shop, including Lake Pedder (1997) and Wildness (2003).

For more films about Tasmania check out the NFSA Films YouTube channel.

For more footage from around Australia, see the West Australian and Far North Queensland time capsules.

Burnie