Brisbane (1964) | Life in Australia Series | 4K Restoration

Life in Australia: Brisbane (restored in 4K) captures a mid-autumn afternoon in Queensland’s subtropical capital during the 1960s. Directed by Robert Parker, the film opens with a series of telephone calls reflecting the city’s growing business activity, before following a suburban family through their daily routine: Gill earns the money, his wife manages the home, their son attends school, and their daughter studies at university.

From the banks of the Brisbane River to the city’s leafy suburbs, the film presents Brisbane as a modern, well-organised community with strong civic pride. Like others in the Life in Australia series, it was produced by the Commonwealth Film Unit to promote Australia as a land of opportunity.
The series promised comfort and prosperity—but with limits. Gender roles are rigid, First Nations people are absent, and inclusiveness was not part of the story. Produced in the final years of the White Australia Policy, the films sit on the cusp of the landmark 1967 Referendum.

Today, they stand as vivid time capsules—showing both the optimism and the blind spots in how Australia wanted to be seen on the world stage.

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From the Film Australia Collection, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
Title: Brisbane: Life In Australia
NFSA ID: 27797
Year: 1964
Credits:
Australian Commonwealth Film Unit
Director: Robert Parker
Producer: Eric Thompson
Photography: Reginald Pearse
Music: Martin Long

Find out more about the Life in Australia series on the NFSA website: https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/cu...

For reuse and licensing enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

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