BACK OF BEYOND COLLECTION, THE

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Trailer

Synopsis

BACK OF BEYOND

John Heyer’s 1950’s Aussie adventure film following Tom Kruse along the Birdsville Track.

Winner of the Absolute Grand Prize at the 1954 Venice International Film Festival and nominated for a 1955 BAFTA film award for Best Documentary Film.

The development of inland Australia largely depends on the men who keep open the supply lines and communications - the outback mailmen. In an area larger than Europe, beyond the last roads and railways, their tracks make the map of the inland, become the roads of tomorrow and mark the growth of the nation.

Across the centre of Australia ran an ancient 300-mile track that was used by Aboriginal people trading between north and south. Commonly known as the Birdsville Track, joining Marree in South Australia to Birdsville in Queensland, it was the main thoroughfare for Tom Kruse to deliver mail and supplies to outlying cattle stations. The Back of Beyondfollows his remarkable journey and celebrates the characters that define outback Australia.

BACK TO THE BACK OF BEYOND

Forty years after legendary filmmaker John Heyer captured a uniquely Aussie adventure on film, we revisit the dusty outback once more as dedicated postman Tom Kruse returns to the rugged Birdsville Track to relive his past and comment on the future of outback Australia.

Exploring past endeavours and investigating significant changes across the decades, Back To The Back of Beyond looks at the developing countryside, where the 300-mile track that was used by Aboriginal people trading between north and south became such an important lifeline to outlying cattle stations.

An enlightening retrospective, John Heyer, Pat Jackson and Tom Kruse lovingly recount their life's work with amusing anecdotes and engaging honesty, providing a delightful companion piece to the seminal 1954 documentary.

*Special thanks to 'The John Heyer Estate' for their cooperation.

Extra Features

BACK OF BEYOND
Three bonus John Heyer historical short films:JOURNEY OF A NATION (1947) - 11 minutesThe much lauded poetic and polemical documentary about the standardisation of Australian rail gauges, emphasising the economic cost in times of peace and the possible threat to security in times of war. Heyer explores the five changes in the size of rail track between the mainland states. An Australian National Film Board Production. Produced by the Department of Information. © 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. (in small copyright sized text).
THE REEF (1977) - 74 minutesThe Reef captures the beauty of one of the world's living wonders - Australia's Great Barrier Reef. But man-made pollution may set in motion an alarming chain of events which could threaten six hundred thousand years of coral life.
LET'S GO (1956) - 10 minutes'Motoring isn't just a matter of having a car or a truck, it's a matter of knowing about the road!' A classic tale of planning an outback trip long before the advent of GPS, where The Shell Touring Service maps were the only way to go. Photo Gallery