AGY-3422 | Documentary Films Committee of New South Wales

Full description

The background to the establishment of the Documentary Films Committee of New South Wales was the initiative of the Government of the United Kingdom to foster co-operation between the British Commonwealth countries in the distribution of films of a ‘mutually educational character’. The Imperial Relations Trust sent Mr John Grierson to Australia and to discuss this proposal with members of the Federal and various state governments. The Minister for Education organised for Mr Grierson to address a meeting in Sydney with representatives of the Premier’s Department, Department of Education, the University of Sydney, and the Public Library with the aim of devising a suitable plan for submission to Cabinet. The proposal developed by the meeting was presented to Cabinet by the Minister for Education ( D.H. Drummond) on 5 June and was endorsed by the Cabinet. The Committee commenced business on 24 June, 1940. The functions of the Committee were as follows.
(a) To co-ordinate and develop the demand for films of the documentary type;
(b) To acquire, store, and circulate such films;
(c) To arrange with the Imperial Relations Trust, Government Departments and private sector bodies for the supply of documentary films;
(d) To act as an advisory body to Commonwealth, and State Authorities and to private organisations prepared to produce films adaptable to public information purposes;
(e) To exchange films with similar committees in other Australian States, the Commonwealth, other parts of the British Commonwealth and the USA;
(f) To co-operate with similar committees in the other states and with the Commonwealth Government or a Committee appointed by that Government in the production of films on Australian subjects. The Committee consisted of a full-time Executive Officer and a small staff. The initial tasks of the Committee were to
(a) prepare a list of organisations likely to be interested in documentary films; (b) develop a catalogue of films for distribution to future audiences; (c) show films to stimulate a demand; and (d) to correspond on behalf of the Committee. The films were stored, managed and preserved at the Public Library whose expertise was also be used in the classification and indexing of the films. The circulation of the films was undertaken by the Country Reference Section of the Library. It was considered that the two media – film and books would complement and stimulate demand for each other. The library’s network of educational institutions was a prime source for identifying audiences for documentary films. The theatrette in the Department of Education was used initially used for screenings. The Committee worked co-operatively with similar committees in other states and was represented on the Commonwealth committee which, unlike the States, was to be involved in the production of documentary films. The Visual Education Officer of the Department of Education became the assistant to the Executive Officer and the secretary of that section became the juvenile films distribution officer. The Visual Education Section continued in the Department of Education and the resources of the Committee and the section were shared for the convenience of the clientele.(1)
In December 1945 the Committee was reconstituted as the Documentary and Educational Films Council to act with the newly established the Australian National Film Board constituted by the Commonwealth Government. (2) ENDNOTES:
(1) Cabinet Minute and memorandum 5 June 1940 CGS12083/ [9/3047]
(2) Report of the New South Wales Film Council 1973/1974, A. R. 1974/75, Vol. 3, p.268