NFSA Film Australia

Day-Old Chickens Bred for Export | Australian Diary 112 | 1960 | 4K Restoration

Inside a precision engineered hatchery, thousands of eggs are turned, warmed and brought to life before being shipped across the world within just three weeks. This newly restored 4K Australian Diary newsreel captures a remarkable moment in 1959, when Australia’s poultry industry was scaling rapidly and exporting day-old chicks by air to markets including Mauritius, Hong Kong, Borneo and the United States. From mechanical incubators to expert chick sorting, the film reveals the speed and coordination behind an industry built for global reach. Made a time when technological advancement and Australian agriculture was booming, the footage presents an image of industrial prowess. The fluffy chicks on display aren’t treated with particular coziness or warmth - the focus is squarely on the momentum of the production line and mid-century innovation. The voiceover narration, meanwhile, takes on a more personal tone. Laidback and accessible language explains the system to audiences, drawing everyday Australians into their country’s export ambitions. The Australian Diary series was produced by the Commonwealth Film Unit (later Film Australia) from the late 1940s into the early 1970s. Designed as short cinema newsreels, the films showcased Australian life, international visitors, cultural events, science, sport and industry. Today, the collection forms part of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), preserving important moving image records of Australia’s social and cultural history. Watch more Australian Colour Diary films here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCED13FCE809FD297 From the Film Australia Collection, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Title: Australian Colour Diary. No. 112 NFSA ID: PFQXZ3AQ Year: 1959 Credits: Production Company: Australian News And Information Bureau. Film Division Director: Jack S. Allan Narrator: Harry Dearth #AustralianDiary #NFSA #NFSACollection #AustralianHistory #NFSAFilms #4KRestoration #ArchiveFilm #Newsreel #Agriculture #Farming #GlobalTrade #Easter