50th anniversary of Film Australia short documentary, A Steam Train Passes. Image: National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
All Ages | 100 Mins
Hop on board to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Film Australia short documentary, A Steam Train Passes (Dir: David Haythornwaite, Prod: Anthony Buckley, DoP: Dean Semler, 1974), with a film screening and discussion with special guests.
Considered as one of Australia’s finest railway films, A Steam Train Passes is a highly awarded short documentary featuring the C38 class steam locomotive 3801, which was designed and built in NSW by the New South Wales Government Railways – the last steam locomotives in the state to be built for passenger train operation.
In addition to A Steam Train Passes, this special screening will feature a newly produced short documentary by Transport Heritage NSW, featuring the creatives involved in the making of the film, together with a screening of Western Endeavour (1970), and some never-before-seen footage from the NFSA’s Jim Powe Collection, narrated by our resident train expert, Jeff Wray.
PROGRAM
- Introduction by NFSA CEO Patrick McIntyre and Transport Heritage NSW CEO, Andrew Moritz
- A Steam Train Passes
1974 | All Ages | 21 mins | DCP | AUS | D: David Haythornwaite - A Steam Train Passes: 50 Years On
2025 | All Ages | 25 mins | DCP | AUS | D: Steve Chestney - Short Break
- Powe Collection with narration by Jeff Wray (NFSA) – 20 mins
Excerpts from the NFSA’s Jim Powe Collection – a significant collection of over one hundred Australian train and tram film and audio recordings from the late 1960s to the 1990s. - Western Endeavour (1970) – 25mins
Filmed and edited by Jim Powe, this short film documents the historic journey made by the 3801 steam locomotive leading as it crosses from the East Coast to the West Coast of Australia
The details
What: Screening, presentation and new footage
When: Sun 6 Apr 1:00 PM
Where: Arc Cinema, NFSA Acton
Cost: $17-20. Tickets available via NFSA.
