
Directing
Frank Hurley
Born 1885-10-15 · Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
James Francis "Frank" Hurley (1885–1962) was an Australian photographer and filmmaker. He served as the official cinematographer on multiple polar expeditions, capturing raw footage that resulted in early documentary films such as Home of the Blizzard (1913) and South (1919). Hurley also worked as an official military photographer and cinematographer during both WWI and WWII, documenting campaigns across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. His broader filmography includes directing ethnographic documentaries and serving as a principal cinematographer on Australian narrative feature films.
Acting credits
7.1A century after Shackleton's Endurance sank beneath the ice, explorers uncover the legendary shipwreck and an amazing tale of survival.
Endurance
2024
Filmed over six years, this documentary records the daily life, cultural traditions, wartime impacts, landscape and reconstruction across the Middle East and North Africa during WWII. Some locations include: Cairo markets, the Nile, the pyramids, Khartoum in the Sudan, and the liberation of Cyrenaica.
Mid-East
1945
NRPresented by explorer Frank Hurley in his final film appearance, this documentary chronicles Australia's role in the scientific exploration of Antarctica and the hardships the pioneers endured. Using archival footage, this film spans from 1911, following Sir Douglas Mawson's first expedition, to Phillip Law establishing the continent's first permanent research station in 1954.
Antarctic Pioneers
1963
Directed and filmed by Frank Hurley for Cinesound, this short industrial documentary captures the realities of 1930s mining in Broken Hill. This film opens with dramatised historical re-enactments of Captain Charles Sturt’s 1844 expedition and Charles Rasp’s 1883 silver lode discovery. Utilising extensive cable networks and specialised camera filters to overcome extreme dark and heat, Hurley takes his camera 2,000 ft below the surface. The footage captures miners drilling rock, pit ponies hauling ore cars, and an explosive rock blasting arrangement. Above ground, it documents men operating heavy machinery to extract zinc, lead, and silver deposits, and the refining of the raw minerals.
Silver City
1936
9.0Frank Hurley (1885-1962) was firmly established by 1925 as Australia's most famous photographer. After World War 1, having filled the position as the first official photographer of the Australian war effort, Hurley became interested in Papua New Guinea. In December 1920, he left Australia to record the work of Anglican missions in Papua and to make "travelogue entertainment". The result was this documentary, "Pearls and Savages" which was released in Sydney, in December 1921. Following its initial success, the film was modularly expanded for subsequent theatrical re-releases including the 1923 edition, 'With the Headhunters of Unknown Papua' incorporating new expedition footage that features Hurley and ichthyologist Allan McCulloch on screen.
Pearls and Savages
1921
10.0Siege of the South is a 1931 Australian documentary film by Frank Hurley. It featured Douglas Mawson. It was based on footage taken on the BANZ Expedition to Antarctica in 1930–31. The film debuted in Brisbane in 1931.
Siege of the South
1930
An Australian travelogue documenting the landscapes, rodent-control efforts, local community and workers on Lord Howe Island.
Jewel of the Pacific
1932
This short travel documentary showcases the natural landscapes, water systems, and historic sites of Tasmania. Produced on behalf of the Australian National Travel Association, it serves to promote regional tourism by illustrating the area's scenic and industrial appeal.
Isle of Many Waters
1939
A short documentary showing the construction and opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Narrated by Frank Hurley, it also features aerial views and scenic locations around Sydney. This film is believed to be lost.
A Symphony in Steel
1932
NRCommissioned to promote 1930s tourism, this charming travelogue follows young lovers Jack and Jill on a scenic treasure hunt across the Blue Mountains. Seeking a hidden £500 cheque, their quest takes them past iconic landmarks like the Three Sisters and down the historic Scenic Railway.
Treasures of Katoomba
1936
Behind the camera
7.3The story of the 1914-1916 Antarctic exploration mission of Sir Ernest Shackleton.
South
1919
Englishman Martin South (Eric Bransby Williams) is leading an expedition into the Dutch New Guinea hinterland to search for gold, being joined by George Mardyke (Jameson Thomas), who he thinks is his friend. The expedition is attacked by headhunters and Mardyke leaves Martin for dead so he can pursue the latter's fiancee, Eleanor (Lillian Douglas), the daughter of a plantation manager. Meanwhile, Martin is nursed back to health by native girl, Hurana (Grace Savieri), who falls in love with him and helps him escape from some angry natives. Hurana is bitten by a snake and dies, and Martin arrives back to civilisation in time to rescue Eleanor from Mardyke. Was partially filmed back to back on Thursday Island with 'The Hounds of The Deep'
Jungle Woman
1926
Englishman Martin South (Eric Bransby Williams) is leading an expedition into the Dutch New Guinea hinterland to search for gold, being joined by George Mardyke (Jameson Thomas), who he thinks is his friend. The expedition is attacked by headhunters and Mardyke leaves Martin for dead so he can pursue the latter's fiancee, Eleanor (Lillian Douglas), the daughter of a plantation manager. Meanwhile, Martin is nursed back to health by native girl, Hurana (Grace Savieri), who falls in love with him and helps him escape from some angry natives. Hurana is bitten by a snake and dies, and Martin arrives back to civilisation in time to rescue Eleanor from Mardyke. Was partially filmed back to back on Thursday Island with 'The Hounds of The Deep'
Jungle Woman
1926
Englishman Martin South (Eric Bransby Williams) is leading an expedition into the Dutch New Guinea hinterland to search for gold, being joined by George Mardyke (Jameson Thomas), who he thinks is his friend. The expedition is attacked by headhunters and Mardyke leaves Martin for dead so he can pursue the latter's fiancee, Eleanor (Lillian Douglas), the daughter of a plantation manager. Meanwhile, Martin is nursed back to health by native girl, Hurana (Grace Savieri), who falls in love with him and helps him escape from some angry natives. Hurana is bitten by a snake and dies, and Martin arrives back to civilisation in time to rescue Eleanor from Mardyke. Was partially filmed back to back on Thursday Island with 'The Hounds of The Deep'
Jungle Woman
1926
Filmed over six years, this documentary records the daily life, cultural traditions, wartime impacts, landscape and reconstruction across the Middle East and North Africa during WWII. Some locations include: Cairo markets, the Nile, the pyramids, Khartoum in the Sudan, and the liberation of Cyrenaica.
Mid-East
1945
Filmed over six years, this documentary records the daily life, cultural traditions, wartime impacts, landscape and reconstruction across the Middle East and North Africa during WWII. Some locations include: Cairo markets, the Nile, the pyramids, Khartoum in the Sudan, and the liberation of Cyrenaica.
Mid-East
1945
7.0To claim his inheritance, John Strong travels to Thursday Island with an ultimatum to locate a valuable pearl within two years. If he fails, his late uncle's pearling station will be forfeited to a rival pearler, "Black" Darley.
The Hound of the Deep
1926
7.0To claim his inheritance, John Strong travels to Thursday Island with an ultimatum to locate a valuable pearl within two years. If he fails, his late uncle's pearling station will be forfeited to a rival pearler, "Black" Darley.
The Hound of the Deep
1926
7.0To claim his inheritance, John Strong travels to Thursday Island with an ultimatum to locate a valuable pearl within two years. If he fails, his late uncle's pearling station will be forfeited to a rival pearler, "Black" Darley.
The Hound of the Deep
1926
NRPresented by explorer Frank Hurley in his final film appearance, this documentary chronicles Australia's role in the scientific exploration of Antarctica and the hardships the pioneers endured. Using archival footage, this film spans from 1911, following Sir Douglas Mawson's first expedition, to Phillip Law establishing the continent's first permanent research station in 1954.
Antarctic Pioneers
1963
This industrial short film provides a visual survey of the local timber industry, documenting the scale, infrastructure, and manufacturing pipelines of the pine plantations across New Zealand's North Island volcanic plateau. It follows the lifecycle of the forest from seedlings to maturity across 170,000 acres, and explores the commercial utilisation of wood pulp, detailing its transition into consumer goods like plastics, textiles, and structural materials for construction.
The Keeper of the Trees
1937
Directed and filmed by Frank Hurley for Cinesound, this short industrial documentary captures the realities of 1930s mining in Broken Hill. This film opens with dramatised historical re-enactments of Captain Charles Sturt’s 1844 expedition and Charles Rasp’s 1883 silver lode discovery. Utilising extensive cable networks and specialised camera filters to overcome extreme dark and heat, Hurley takes his camera 2,000 ft below the surface. The footage captures miners drilling rock, pit ponies hauling ore cars, and an explosive rock blasting arrangement. Above ground, it documents men operating heavy machinery to extract zinc, lead, and silver deposits, and the refining of the raw minerals.
Silver City
1936
Directed and filmed by Frank Hurley for Cinesound, this short industrial documentary captures the realities of 1930s mining in Broken Hill. This film opens with dramatised historical re-enactments of Captain Charles Sturt’s 1844 expedition and Charles Rasp’s 1883 silver lode discovery. Utilising extensive cable networks and specialised camera filters to overcome extreme dark and heat, Hurley takes his camera 2,000 ft below the surface. The footage captures miners drilling rock, pit ponies hauling ore cars, and an explosive rock blasting arrangement. Above ground, it documents men operating heavy machinery to extract zinc, lead, and silver deposits, and the refining of the raw minerals.
Silver City
1936
Directed and filmed by Frank Hurley for Cinesound, this short industrial documentary captures the realities of 1930s mining in Broken Hill. This film opens with dramatised historical re-enactments of Captain Charles Sturt’s 1844 expedition and Charles Rasp’s 1883 silver lode discovery. Utilising extensive cable networks and specialised camera filters to overcome extreme dark and heat, Hurley takes his camera 2,000 ft below the surface. The footage captures miners drilling rock, pit ponies hauling ore cars, and an explosive rock blasting arrangement. Above ground, it documents men operating heavy machinery to extract zinc, lead, and silver deposits, and the refining of the raw minerals.
Silver City
1936
A short film documenting the massive Allied overland operation managed by PAIFORCE (Persia and Iraq force) during WWII. This film captures the brutal conditions faced by the convoys as they transport oil and military supplies from the Persian Gulf to Russia, tracking their 1,200 mile journey across the desert heat, snow and mountain passes.
The Road to Russia
1944
A short wartime propaganda film documenting the initial progress of the AIF 6th Division during the Western Desert Campaign of WWII. The film records the rapid allied advance across the desert before the fall of Bardia. Released as a "newsreel scoop", it was heavily cut down beforehand as the government prioritised fast-paced propaganda over Hurley's cinematic approach. Some of this cut footage was later distributed into global newsreels, such as British Pathé's "Rapid Advance in Libya".
Advance to Libya
1941
NRThis silent travelogue chronicles Francis Birtles' and Frank Hurley's 6,000-mile motorized expedition through the unmapped Australian wilderness. Filmed over four months in 1914, it serves as a historic natural and ethological study across Central Queensland, the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the Northern Territory. The surviving written records detail outback landscapes, swamps, and water-lily lagoons. In addition to flora, it extensively records fauna including crocodiles, alligators, snakes, wallabies, wild boars, camel teams, lizards, pelicans, and various bird species. This documentary also provides footage of Indigenous people and their practices, capturing ceremonial dances, fish spearing, hunting methods, traditional corroborees and a native tree burial. This film is considered entirely lost.
Australia's Unknown
1915
An industrial short film documenting metallurgical smelting and refining processes at the Port Pirie works in South Australia. Serving as the immediate companion film to 1936's "Silver City" it follows the arrival of raw silver-lead concentrates by rail before moving through automated roasting plants and active blast furnaces. The documentary finishes behind the locked doors of the high-security silver and gold rooms, showcasing the final creation of pure bullion bars.
Vulcan's Crucible
1937
An industrial short film documenting metallurgical smelting and refining processes at the Port Pirie works in South Australia. Serving as the immediate companion film to 1936's "Silver City" it follows the arrival of raw silver-lead concentrates by rail before moving through automated roasting plants and active blast furnaces. The documentary finishes behind the locked doors of the high-security silver and gold rooms, showcasing the final creation of pure bullion bars.
Vulcan's Crucible
1937
NRA silent documentary showing the pilots, mechanics and operations of the Australian Flying Corps. It highlights military aviation activities across France, Palestine and England during and immediately after the First World War.
With the Australian Flying Corps in France, England and Palestine
1919
9.0Frank Hurley (1885-1962) was firmly established by 1925 as Australia's most famous photographer. After World War 1, having filled the position as the first official photographer of the Australian war effort, Hurley became interested in Papua New Guinea. In December 1920, he left Australia to record the work of Anglican missions in Papua and to make "travelogue entertainment". The result was this documentary, "Pearls and Savages" which was released in Sydney, in December 1921. Following its initial success, the film was modularly expanded for subsequent theatrical re-releases including the 1923 edition, 'With the Headhunters of Unknown Papua' incorporating new expedition footage that features Hurley and ichthyologist Allan McCulloch on screen.
Pearls and Savages
1921
6.0Sagebrush and Silver is a 1941 American short documentary film enjoying the beautiful scenery of Nevada in the United States and directed by Frank Hurley. It was nominated for an Academy Award at the 14th Academy Awards for Best Short Subject.
Sagebrush and Silver
1941
NRThis promotional travelogue showcases the Great Barrier Reef as an ideal holiday destination, taking viewers on a tour of its scenic islands. The film highlights the natural environment and wildlife, featuring newly hatched chicks nesting in the bush, newborn turtles making their trek from the sand to the sea, traditional spear fishing, and underwater scenes capturing the diverse marine life.
Follow the Sun
1938
NRThis promotional travelogue showcases the Great Barrier Reef as an ideal holiday destination, taking viewers on a tour of its scenic islands. The film highlights the natural environment and wildlife, featuring newly hatched chicks nesting in the bush, newborn turtles making their trek from the sand to the sea, traditional spear fishing, and underwater scenes capturing the diverse marine life.
Follow the Sun
1938
