The origins of Australia's national film collection

Initially, the collecting of motion picture films by Australia's national library was for the purpose of keeping recordings of historical events. The library was earlier called the "Commonwealth National Library" and in 1961 became the National Library of Australia, as it is today; for convenience it will be referred to here as the "National Library" or just the "Library".

The what and when of the first film acquisition by the National Library are not known. The book The Commonwealth Parliamentary Library, 1901-27 and the Origins of the National Library of Australia,¹ which gives a detailed history of the Library before and up to its move from Melbourne to Canberra in 1927, says nothing about motion pictures in the collection. There is a mention of articles of historic value being included in the move, and these could include films.

A key player in the business of film collection by the National Library was Kenneth Binns. He started at the Library in Melbourne on 8 May 1911 as a Cataloguer, and was reclassified as Assistant Librarian in 1918. On 1 January 1928 he succeeded Arthur Wadsworth as Librarian, in which position he stayed until his retirement on 28 November 1947, when he was succeeded by Harold Leslie White.

The idea of obtaining motion picture films for the collections of the National Library evolved over the early years of the Library's existence. The first films were considered as records of events of historic significance in Australia's development, and were kept with other items as part of the "national" collection. But no formal acquisition policy was formed until the 1930s; prior to this only a few films were obtained, mostly by donation.

Starting the collection: occasional offers and acquisitions

The State Government of Victoria had formed a collection of films and photographs of the visit to Melbourne of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York and the opening there, on 9 May 1901, of the first Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia. In 1904 this collection was offered for sale to the Committee of the Library, but it is not known whether or not they acquired it then. This is the earliest mention so far known of a motion picture film (possibly) being obtained for the Library's collection.

In June 1910 the manager (Henri Herault) of Pathé Frères in Australia offered for sale to the Government a copy of a film of the ceremonies in Melbourne in connection with the funeral of King Edward VII, to be deposited in the archives of the Commonwealth. (The King had died on 6 May 1910, and the ceremonies had taken place in Melbourne on 20 May.) This offer was passed to the Library Committee, together with a report on the film that stated that it was considered that the price asked was too high. The film was not purchased.

To promote recruiting of troops during World War 1, in 1915 the Commonwealth Government's Minister for Defence (George F. Pearce) authorised the production of a short film, Will They Never Come? by the company Australasian Films Ltd. He was pleased enough with the result that he bought a copy and placed it in the archives of the House [of Representatives], and also authorised the production of a sequel, A Hero of the Dardanelles, a copy of which was also purchased. What became of these two films is not known; in 1927 the Director (John L. Treloar) of the Australian War Memorial was trying to find them, and, thinking they may have been in the keeping of the Library, asked the Librarian if this was so: Binns replied that no War films have ever been handed over to this Library.

In mid-May 1927 the general manager (Stanley W. Hawkins) of De Forest Phonofilms (Australia) Ltd offered the Commonwealth Government the sound film of the opening of Australia's new Parliament House in Canberra. Hawkins suggested the film be put in the "archives" should the Government accept it. Binns got wind of the correspondence amongst members of Parliament concerning whether or not to accept the film, and suggested to the Chairman of the Library Committee, Littleton E. Groom (who was also Speaker of the House of Representatives), that the film be placed in the National Library. As Groom's opinion was important in the decision, the offer of the film was accepted, and Hawkins was asked to deal directly with the National Library regarding arrangements being made for the despatch and reception of the record. By April 1928 no copy of the film had been received, nor had there been any reason given as to why not, and Binns chased up the matter with the Federal Government, but to no avail: no copy of the film was obtained by the Library.

The first known acquisition of a film by the Library was in late February 1932 when the Prime Minister, Joseph A. Lyons, was given a copy of the sound film taken on 6 January 1932 by Australian Sound Films Pty Ltd of him introducing the members of his new Cabinet and the swearing-in of this Cabinet.² Lyons passed the film on to the National Library. In a letter of thanks to the managing director (Charles R. Herschell) of Australian Sound Films, Binns stated that this is the first sound film record acquired by the Library for permanent preservation.

Does this imply that the Library already had silent films in its collection? Probably not, because Binns also asked Herschell for advice on preserving films:

You will appreciate that it is important that these records should be preserved for centuries, and owing to the novel nature of the material of which they are composed – which, I imagine, is of a somewhat impermanent character – I am anxious to know the best means of preserving these from deterioration or damage.

Three months later, in pursuance of our policy of assisting in the establishment of a library of films of historical value, Herschell asked the Prime Minister if he would also accept a copy of another newsreel item, Some Veterans of the First Commonwealth Parliament.³ The film was, after several weeks' delay, of course accepted. Binns wrote: ... our National Library which has already commenced the collection of historical films and speaking records.

In mid-1934 Harold L. White, the Assistant Librarian, acting for Binns who was overseas on a study tour, wrote to Charles Kingsford Smith asking for a copy of the film The Old Bus, which detailed Smith's historic flights and other events in the history of aviation.⁴ White stated that we already have a number of historic films presented by various producers, instancing the film of the meeting of Parliamentary veterans. Kinsgford Smith replied that he was contacting the film's producers about making a copy available, but nothing came of this.

So, at this time, did the Library really have films by producers other than Australian Sound Films, and if so, what were they? Or was White simply trying to make Kingsford Smith feel obliged to donate a copy of his film?

Binns chased up Kingsford Smith about a copy of The Old Bus in April 1935. On this occasion Kingsford Smith replied that all copies were in circulation and it would be a considerable expense to make another copy, but the film's producer, Jack Percival, promised to present a copy to the Library when the demand for exhibition of the film had decreased. No record has been found that the Library ever received the film.

Getting organised: the Historical Film and Speaking Record Library

The donation of the two films by Australian Sound Films in 1932 appears to have been the catalyst for Kenneth Binns to consider seriously the formal creation of a collection of motion pictures of historic value. Later that year he discussed the matter of the Library preserving such films with Lyndsay T. Maplestone, the Officer-in-Charge of the Cinema and Photographic Branch⁵ of the Department of Commerce; this branch, which had been part of various Government departments over the years, had effectively been created at the end of 1911 with the appointment of James P. Campbell to the position of Government cinematographer.

Over its lifetime the HFaSRL did not have a big budget, and it had an even smaller expenditure.

Financial year	Vote £	Actual expenditure £
1936/37	50	0
1937/38	350	144
1938/39	630	345
1939/40	350	223
1940/41	150	2
1941/42	75	19
1942/43	50	0
1943/44	50	5
1944/45	50	0
1945/46	50	4
1946/47	50	0
1947/48	50	0

• 1935-05: films of King George V's 25th jubilee celebrations in London.
• 1935-06: film of the ceremonial dances and songs of the Worora tribe of North-western Australia.
• 1936: Dr Donald Thomson's films of aborigines ...
• 1941-11: film of opening of the Australian War Memorial, donated by Cinesound Productions Pty., Ltd.
• [1913: naming of Canberra; 1927: opening of Parliament]

Looking for a home

Most of the historic films now kept and managed by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia suffered a very checkered career as far as their preservation was concerned, before modern storage vaults were finished in 1980. With a significant number of reels in the collection, which continued to grow, there was no proper climate-controlled environment available in which to keep it, and the best that could be found was usually storage designed for explosive materials.

Before the NFSA came into being in 1984, some of Australia's film collection was managed by the Commonwealth National Library, which later became the National Library of Australia.

NLA = the National Library of Australia or, earlier, the Commonwealth National Library.

• 1937-11-25: film stored in fireproof vault at National Library, Canberra.
• 1949-09: NLA has "hundreds of thousands of feet of moving picture films". Mugga Quarry, Canberra used for storage of books, at least.
• before 1958-05-14: NLA film stored at explosives depot no. 2 at Mugga Quarry.
• 1958-12-31: NLA must vacate Mugga Quarry site not later than this date.
• 1959-01-16: NLA can occupy storage at Royal Military College, Duntroon from this date.
• 1959-03-11: NLA have storage for 6 months in explosive store at Royal Military College, Duntroon; tenancy expires in 1959-07.
• 1959-12-15: Royal Military College will make one bay of the old magazine available as from mid 1960-02.
• 1960-10-25: Royal Military College ask that NLA film be removed asap from ammunition magazine.
• 1961-05-03: NLA's 2,500 reels of nitrate base 35 mm film stored at ammunition magazine at Royal Military College, Duntroon.
• 1961-05-29: NLA films unceremoniously booted out of Duntroon yesterday.
• 1961-06: films moved to a store at Harman Naval Base, Canberra.
• 1961-06-29: NLA film presently stored in a weatherboard garage at Harman.
• 1961-08-16: NLA film is at present housed in a weatherboard garage at Harman. Removal of film requested. Trying to negotiate to stay till 1961-11-30.
• c. 1961-12: moved from Harman to old quarry at O'Connor, Canberra.
• 1962-06-29: Library film is housed in a building at a Canberra quarry.
• 1962-07-16: Australian War Memorial vaults taken over.
• 1968-06-28: NLA have to move out from Australian War Memorial vaults.
• 1972: NLA nitrate film moved to Munitions Filling Factory, St. Marys, Sydney.
• c. 1981-07: NLA nitrate film moved from Munitions Filling Factory to new film vaults at Mitchell, Canberra.

Considering the propensity for film with cellulose nitrate base to degrade under less than optimal storage conditions, it might be a wonder that any old films survived. How many were lost through physical deterioration, either while in poor storage conditions or later, as a result of previous poor storage, is not known.