The other day I went to the Australian Mediatheque in Federation square at the ACMI (Australian Center for Moving Image) to look at some archival material of Australia's early telecommunication industry. (A mediatheque is a french term for a media library- a place where you can view research media material.). I came to view this material cause I needed to do some research on films that portrayed the atmosphere of the 'telegraph industry' in the early 1900's for a script that I am currently writing.
The facility was fantastic! I got a whole video viewing booth with contemporary style couches that were brown and green. Also, I got a nice HD widescreen television to view my pile of archive film with. During my screening, I slyly took some none-flash photos of the TV screen on particular shots that I found fascinating (above). What is even better- my viewing costs were free! No charge.
All of the early videos I watched evoked a colonizer's perspective on the Ausralian landscape. They each held a nationalistic purpose to make Australia the 'top' interconnected nation in the world. Australia presents: Forward communications, juxtaposed the "vast country" of Australia in need for communication to the bustling cities of Melbourne. The film showed the increase in mail to the scattered towns, the laying of cables, and the operations of telephonists and telegraphists operating morse keys. Almost all of the telephonists were women and all the men were outside "laying the cable." A patterned emerged- men outdoors (public sphere) and women on the inside (private sphere). Australia made efforts after WWII to rebuild the telecommunication infrastructure- new buildings, new tele-training facilities (e.g. PMG training college), new trenches for underground cables...etc. The underground cables began as a replacement for the overhead cables because the Australian environment produced hazard fires which caused damage to the overhead wires. In the video Triumph of the Telegraph, they discussed ways of protecting local Oz birds (magpies) from disrupting the lines, such as building nests that layed on the outside of the poles for them to take comfort in.
In the opening of Triumph of the Telegraph, there was a shot of an Aboriginal native making a fire out of sticks, and then telegraph lines faded in eventually to replace the Aboriginal. The film blatantly states that the 'native' culture, must be erased and overwritten with technological that would ensure strength, stability, and progress. Everything they discussed was pertinent to the vastness of the Australian landscape and 'white' man's extension of oneself into the Australian arcadia by wire.
Another interesting clip I watched was called "Lucky Sue!" It was an advertisement recruiting women into the telephone branch in Adelaide. It showed sue lying on the beach with a handsome man and then Sue working and smiling at her telephone office booth. The ad used the picturesque Australian beach environment to lure women in. Lucky sue!
The Australian mediatheque is also great because they let you watch 16 mm films from a projector in a special room with no charge! Next monday, I am going to go see my "film" reels at the Mediatheque. As for advice, if you feel like connecting down under- check out the Mediatheque. Just request films from the National Film and Sound Archive at:
http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/search.w3p;adv=no;query=%22post%20office%22%20Media%3A%22FILM%22%20Access%3Atrue;resCount=10
The films will be sent for free to an onsite viewing facility in Australia within a week.
:)
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