Journey of a Nation

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

‘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. This is the story of one of those men and the people he serves…’
Across the centre of Australia ran an ancient 300-mile track that, before the coming of white man, was used by Aboriginal people trading between north and south. Today it is called the Birdsville Track and joins Marree in South Australia to Birdsville in Queensland. Every fortnight a carrier called Kruse set out for Birdsville with supplies and mail for half a dozen cattle stations lying along the Track.
The Back of Beyond follows Kruse on a typical trip and leaves him at various points along the route to tell stories associated with the areas through which he passes.

Featuring three bonus John Heyer historical short films:
JOURNEY OF A NATION (1947) – 11 minutes
The 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 expertly highlights the problems involved, exploring the five changes in the size of rail track between the mainland states.
THE REEF (1977) – 63 minutes
The 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.

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Fonte – Source