This period film AUSTRALIA WILD AND STRANGE was produced and narrated by Carveth Wells and shows “depictions of his experience in the northern regions.” Wells was a noted author and lecturer who “Sought Secrets of Strange Places.”

This film begins by explaining that American and Australian beginnings were similar in they both involved white settlers and are now both considered to be productive commonwealths (:58). A map of the country is provided showing the Indian Ocean to the northwest and Pacific with it’s great coral reefs (Great Barrier Reef) to the Northeast (1:13).The coast of Australia is famed for it’s reefs as they are the largest; over a thousand miles wide (1:23). At high tide they are completely covered, yet with low the many colors are clearly visible (1:45). Aboriginal Australians ride in on hand made primitive boats (2:19). Their backs are riddled with scars that have been etched using sharp shells, and then packed with mud from under the mangrove tree (2:55). Images of these men with the dangerous and poisonous stingray are taken on the beaches (3:17). Also handled and used for meat, is the shovel nose shark (3:34).The fish that has given rise to the myth of mermaids is the dugong (4:01), not dissimilar to the manatee. A common nickname to the Australian dugong is the ‘sea cow’ (4:16) and it is used for meat, oil and it’s thick hide. Massive turtles will cover the beaches by the hundreds yet by morning rush back to the ocean (5:02). On the shore they will lay eggs, and if these eggs survive natives and predators, they will hatch and return to the ocean as well (5:33). Thousands of tiny soldier crabs sprint along the sand (6:14).A native scales a cliff on which an Eagle has hidden a nest for its baby chicks (6:42).

For weaponry, modified throwing spears are used which can be hurled lengths of around 200 yards (7:37). In tropical Australia, the corrobone is popular involving dances demonstrating animals such as the alligator and bird (8:27). In conclusion the narrator is sending the viewer off in hopes the visit to Australia was entertaining (9:01).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com