Adventurous Australian innovations on film

The Sunshine Harvester

This Australian invention significantly altered agricultural production.

See 'How it used to be done' by hand, then witness the labour saving impact of this invention.

Train Control

Discover how the railway was run in 1949, well before centralised computing!

"The Australian method of train control is recognised as one of the best ... in the world."

Slacks with stamina

Take a tour of the Stamina trouser company to see innovative, industrial machinery in the mass-production process and skilled Australian workers, producing men's pants of a high quality.

Cooking on gas

How do you produce 2 million biscuits a day?

Why, with Australian natural gas of course!

Go "behind the menu" in commercial cooking establishments to see how gas has been used in innovative ways.

Every Inch Australian

Sheets and cotton products were despatched to all parts of Australia from a cotton mill by ACTIL Ltd.

From raw materials to finished goods, this film demonstrates Australian textile innovation at work.

Steam horses

Did you know Australia manufactured steam trains?

This film pays homage to the great engine's production and use, made in an era when the "steamies" where being replaced by diesels.

Cake icing 101

The finesse and skill required for cake decorating is shown in this film, demonstrating Australian domestic cookery innovation of its era.

Mice-milking machine

An Australian machine was developed for use in the fight against cancer, providing scientists with milk taken from mice.

Taking milk from a mouse is no easy task and be warned, some viewers may find this upsetting.

Make the most of your roast

An Australian kitchen in the 1960s had all the mod cons.

Ensure the very best results for roasting meat by following these simple techniques.

Yes we can

A patented invention by a factory worker for the stacking of canned goods onto a pallet - from Mooroopna, Victoria.

Journey with a Scottish immigrant on a road trip from Melbourne to the factory.

Power to the people

Watch a 50-year history of innovation in the provision of electricity to the state of Victoria.

Power served industry, agriculture, transport, commerce and homes.

Saved by the gel

An Australian home science student outlines some of the innovative properties and uses of gelatine in cooking.

A salad set in gel? It must be the 1970s!

The solar house

Explore an Australian award-winning, energy-efficient home, with design particular to southern hemisphere requirements - a 'lifestyle for the future'.

The tech revolution

Watch the early use of computing in Australian industry, such as shipping, agriculture and architecture.

"With so much to gain from the new technology, can we afford not to get involved?"

All change

Explore the impact of technological change on the Melbourne newspaper The Age, with the introduction of computerised systems.

Plastic economy

"Advances in technology affect the lives of all Australians."

Explore early computing and technology innovation in the banking sector.

The timeless force

Explore Victorian electricity production using state-of-the-art computing technology in the early 1980s and its history in the use of steam generated turbines.

Punching keys

A biting dramatisation of the effects of the new technology in deskilling the female office workforce.

Let's get together

Australian landholders realising problems of salinity and erosion need to be tackled in groups, rather than as individuals.

Grain alchemy

Innovative Wimmera farmers, located in western Victoria, investigate the potential of using 'gasifier' technology, which can be used to convert grain into fuel.