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This archive-based series is a kaleidoscope of high art and pop culture programming from the 1960s to the noughties.
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2019
To welcome the coming Year of the Pig, we roll the tape back 50 years to Chinese New Year 1969,the Year of the Rooster. ABC spoke with locals in Sydney's Chinatown about the festivities and their views on mainland China.
In the 1950's, Mary Rossi hosted the quaint and cheerful 'Woman's World'. In this segment from 1957, she reviews fashions from a recent trip abroad, predicted to be all the rage in the approaching 1960's.
Danila Vassilieff (1897-1958) was a Russian-Australian painter and sculptor. In this clip, artist Albert Tucker and critic Robert Hughes reflect on Vassilieff's often overlooked contribution to Modernism in Australian art.
In 1980s Sydneys Mardi Gras was under threat of being banned. This was the communitys response
Janet Laurence is an installation artist whose work explores the intersection of art and science. Revisit her 2000 exhibition 'Transpiration', featuring taxidermic animals, specimens and other bewitching paraphernalia.
'The Dinner Party' is an installation work by American artist Judy Chicago commemorating women overlooked by history. The work is now considered iconic of 1970's feminist art but was initially snubbed by the arts community.
In memory of Keith Flint, front man of British electronic group The Prodigy, we revisit this 1997 Recovery interview. Along with his flame-red hair, Flint will be remembered as one of the iconic figures of 90's rave culture.
Hans Heysen (1877 - 1968) was renowned for his paintings of the Australian bush and its defining gums. In 1964, the ABC interviewed the then 87-year-old about his work and the importance of what can been 'seen and felt'.
Edmund Capon's 33-year tenure as Director of the Art Gallery of NSW had a lasting impact on Australia's cultural landscape. In his memory, we revisit this 1994 interview with Capon on post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin.
For World Poetry Day, catch this 1963 interview with Judith Wright, 'nature poet', passionate conservationist and supporter of the Aboriginal land rights movement, discussing the role of poetry in illuminating nature.
The little-known Charis Schwarz was an eroticist and muse for her lifelong partner, surrealist George Schwarz. Amid 1970's hippiedom and second wave feminism, GTK spoke with about her customised FJ Holden as a work of art.
On the 4th of April this year, Heath Ledger would have been 40-years-old. In this 2006 interview with Tracey Bowden, the beloved Australian actor talks about working on 'Brokeback Mountain' and how the film changed his life.
"Politicians come and go, but art remains", said gallerist Colin Stanley Hill of Jackson Pollock's infamous abstract work 'Blue Poles', first displayed in Australia in 1974. 45 years on, we revisit the debate about its value.
In 1969, this 62-year-old had posed for some of the biggest names in Australian art. In her youth, Iris King worked as a dancer and actor but was determined, in her later years, to prove that 'age has nothing to do with art.'
To mark the 20th anniversary of Arthur Boyd's death, we revisit this 1993 interview filmed at his former home 'Bundanon'. On the banks of the Shoalhaven River, Bundanon inspired many of Boyd's renowned landscape paintings.
Cosi is a play about a young director who stages an opera in a psychiatric hospital. During rehearsals at the Darwin Theatre Company in 1994, the ABC spoke to playwright Louis Nowra about the story and its inspiration.
In memory of the renowned Australian poet Les Murray, we revisit the intimate, accessible, and personal nature of his poetry in this segment filmed just after Murray won the prestigious T. S. Eliot Prize for poetry in 1997.
On a train station platform in 1959, a British reporter stopped the iconic Spanish Surrealist artist Salvador Dali to ask him for a self-definition.
Does fashion belong in an art gallery? This is the question posed by one reporter to 60's fashion designer Hall Ludlow and a rather perturbed Robert Hughes at a gallery show in 1961.
Paying tribute to former Prime Minister Bob Hawke this week, we roll back the tapes to the 10th anniversary of Countdown in 1984. A fan of the show, Hawkie described Countdown as "for the young, and the young at heart."
Speaking with some of the iconic musicians of the 1970's, including Blondie, Rose Royce, and Kate Bush, Countdown looked back on a decade of music and the rise of Disco.
In 1968, Four Corners produced this profile of Sheila Scotter; style icon and former Editor of Vogue Australia. Affectionately nicknamed the Silver Duchess, Scotter was known for only ever wearing black and white.
'Hair' the musical made its Australian debut fifty years ago this month. At a time when controversial art was subject to censorship, this reporter asked the cast whether nudity in the show was 'cause for concern.'
Dubbed the most painted face in Australian art, Margaret Olley spoke with the ABC in 1995 about her lifelong obsession with painting and objects.
n this tongue-in-cheek report, the ABC's Bob Connelly interviews journalists, miffed at being kept waiting by a then 24-year-old Mick Jagger. As one journo quips, "He's no Cary Grant, is he?"
Fred Williams became the first Australian to exhibit at New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1977. In this profile, art critic Robert Hughes meditates on Williams' work and visits him at his studio in Melbourne.
This reporter took to the streets of Melbourne to gauge reactions to a public artwork comprised of six saucepans, 120 bricks and five blankets. He garnered some pretty hilarious responses in his efforts to make sense of it.
In 1999, Deborah Mailman was fast becoming a household name after her star turn in Radiance, for which she received an AFI award. She sat down with the Art Show to talk about her career aspirations and love of performing.
In 1960, Barbara McNamara became the first woman to win the Miles Franklin Award for her novel 'The Irishman', which she published under the pseudonym Elizabeth O'Conner.
Ahead of ACDC's electric international debut touring High Voltage to Britain, the ABC's Countdown program nabbed the band for a cheeky airport lounge interview.
Ahead of releasing his 1983 album Let's Dance, David Bowie spoke with Molly Meldrum in Sydney about his collaboration with Iggy Pop, working on stage and screen, and what he learnt about writing from John Lennon.
This month marks 60 years since the prodigious landscape painter and Arrernte man Albert Namatjira passed away. In 1958, the ABC's Weekend Magazine traveled to Central Australia to visit him; painting despite a broken arm.
In August 1979, the trailblazing film My Brilliant Career was released. 40 years on, director Gillian Armstrong reflects on its impact and what it was like to be one of the only female voices in Australian film at the time.
This charming little report from 1960 features the latest trends in shoe fashion: everything from ski boots, golf shoes and dance slippers to a prize-winning shoe embedded with a compass for those suffering from wanderlust!
Performance artist Penny Arcade brought her stage show 'Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore!' to Belvoir St Theatre in 1994 and talked to Stephen Feneley about its inception.
In 1969, artist Christo wrapped Little Bay in one million square feet of fabric. Like all good public art, it sparked community debate about what constitutes art, and inspired this reporter to make his own wrap installation.
In 1987, the fabulously stylish Australian designer Jenny Kee sat down with the ABC's Peter Ross to talk about her cultural and artistic influences, why she left Australia, and her passion for knitted jumpers.
Before Q and A, there was 'Monday Conference'. In 1973, Frank Zappa made a guest appearance, fielding questions from the public about the rock revolution and its influence on youth, sex, drug, and political cultures.
A look inside the Melbourne-based fashion house of 1960's trend-setter and designer Lily Wightman, dubbed by this ABC reporter as 'the dictator of fashion'.
In 1997, author Margaret Atwood joined the ABC's Suzy Baldwin on 'Dialogue' for a candid chat about gender politics, cross-cultural cannibalism, and the important role of the wicked stepmother.
Find out why Melbourne suddenly found the need to build a gallery of great significance on St Kilda Road, and how the site went from being a pile of rubble and ideas to become one of the world's most visited art museums.
First, see how the Wurlitzer Theatre Organ provided all the music and sound effects for films in the early 20th century. Then find out how to learn the keyboard in five minutes, and how to fit a pipe organ in your bedroom.
Judy Garland's Australian tour ended in disaster, but before those troubles, she told the ABC why she keeps on performing, why she loves cooking, and how proud she is of her daughter Liza.
Artist Guan Wei migrated to Australia following the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989, bringing with him a taste of the Chinese Avant-Garde, combining political themes with subtle narrative and humour.
Two Australian musicians shepherd the Australian music scene towards the 80s with this wild mix of synth and acoustic percussion.
A rare peek behind the scenes as the INXS team attempt to record a promo for their latest single 'Kiss the Dirt'. Michael Hutchence must hide a mark on his neck that he swears is not a hickey.
On the cusp of the worldwide success brought on by the INXS track 'What You Need', Molly Meldrum corners band members Michael and Tim backstage after a show, to find out how the band decides which songs become singles.
The band express mixed feelings over their first American tour. The response has been astounding, but are the crowd actually listening to what this group of young, proud Australians have worked so hard to make?
Kirk, Michael and Garry from INXS feel lucky to be Australian, but that doesn't mean they think Australian when it comes to forging international careers.
It's 1996. Having taken a brief hiatus to give themselves space for their private lives, INXS try to forget the unwanted media attention and just get back to making music.
The two lasting legacies of Norman Lindsay will be his much-loved children's book 'The Magic Pudding', and his prolific catalogue of painted nudes. 2019 marks 50 years since Lindsay's death.
Freddie Mercury reveals how to stay successful, and why it's dangerous to rest on your laurels.
This Australian invention shaped the sound of artists like Michael Jackson, Tears for Fears and Kate Bush. It brought "sampling" into the commercial world, a function that became the bedrock of 80s pop and techno music.
Clive James, Australia's urbane master of culture and chat, has died at age 80.
Mysterious Melbourne activists, the Gertrude Street Revivalists, are putting together an art exhibition to educate the public about the negative effects of gentrification in Fitzroy.
2018
One of the biggest names in Australian music, Kylie Minogue needs no introduction. When this clip from GTK was shot in 1989, Kylie had just released her second album and here she performs one of the tracks 'Never Too Late'.
Originally from Boston, Marcia Hines moved to Australia at 16 to perform in 'Hair' and never looked back. In this 1975 clip, a young Hines talks to GTK and performs a powerful version of Shirley Bassey's 'I Who Have Nothing'.
One of Australia's most successful Indigenous performers, Christine Anu released her first album 'Stylin' Up' in 1995. In this clip from Review, the ABC's Stephen Feneley talks with Anu about inspiration for the album.
Before her star turn in Grease in 1978, Olivia Newton-John was well on her way to becoming a household name. In 1971 the then 23-year-old singer/actor chatted with GTK about her future hopes and dodged some curly questions.
Laurel Lea was an up and comer of the 60's music scene, regularly appearing on Bandstand and Six O'Clock Rock. Her dulcet tones can be heard in this 1967 segment from This Day Tonight, performing the classic standard 'Alfie'.
At just 16 years old, pop singer Lynne Randell was something of a trendsetter for 1960s youth. Her manager Carol West discovered her at a hair salon and spoke to the ABC about the art of turning an artist into a 'star'.
A darling of Australian pop, Little Pattie started her career at the tender age of 13, releasing her first song while still at school. In 1968, she spoke with ABC Talks, and in 1976 performed 'Only if You Want To' for GTK.
Nina Raye was a popular vocalist of the late 50s and 60s. In a rare televised performance for the ABC's 'Six O'Clock Rock', she treats the studio audience to a jazz rendition of 'My Little Corner of the World'.
The richly soulful Renee Geyer cut her teeth as a pub singer with Sydney band 'Dry Red' in the early 70's, later breaking off to go solo. In 1973, spoke with GTK and performed a smoking rendition of 'Born Under a Bad Sign'.
With a voice like Janis Joplin, Wendy Saddington is the Australian blues and soul singer you've (probably) never heard of. She released just one album in her lifetime but it's a cracker. In 1971, she spoke with the ABC's GTK.
In the 1990s ARIA award winning singer-songwriter Kate Ceberano hosted a music show on the ABC. In the final episode of the series from 1994, she and Deborah Conway sing a tribute medley to the great Patsy Cline.
Australian conductor Richard Gill championed music for all but especially for the young. His love and enthusiasm for music is unmistakable in this gorgeous segment from Sunday Arts 2009 with young mentee, pianist Max Foster.
'An artist is someone who can think, rather than someone who can paint' - Sir Sidney Nolan. In this clip from 1976, the late Australian artist paints a portrait of a soldier and reflects on the nature of his process.
Sir Sidney Nolan is perhaps best remembered for his Ned Kelly paintings. Exhibited in major galleries the world over, Nolan reignited the Kelly myth and turned that signature helmet into an enduring icon of Australian art.
When renowned Melbourne arts patrons Sunday and John Reed took a young Sidney Nolan under their wing, he soon found himself entwined in a complex relationship which would alter the course of his career and life.
In 1981, Australian writer Patrick White published 'Flaws in the Glass'. The memoir offered a scathing depiction of his theretofore friend Sidney Nolan and sparked an infamous public feud between the two great artists.
Sidney Nolan was one of many Australian artists inspired by the 'Ern Malley' poems. Although later revealed to be an elaborate hoax, Nolan maintained his admiration for the poems and continually returned to them in his work.
The 19th Century French poet Arthur Rimbaud was an early source of creative inspiration for Australian painter Sidney Nolan. Here, he reflects on his affinity for Rimbaud's poetry and his lifelong love of writing.
In 1962, Danish architect Jorn Utzon and his consulting engineer G J Zunz spoke to the ABC about the design for Sydney Opera House and the symbiotic relationship between architect and engineer.
The opera 'The Eighth Wonder' premiered in 1995 and tells the story of the Sydney Opera House and the controversial departure of its architect Jorn Utzon. The 7.30 Report went along to revisit the historical saga.
Traditionally known as 'the mother of the Arts', architecture remains a male dominated field. Even in 1994, female architects were struggling for public recognition in Australia as ABC reporter Jill Singer found out.
In 1962, architect Robin Boyd presented this homage to the great American architect and 'unquestioned genius of the 20th Century', Frank Lloyd Wright, for whom architectural 'mobocracy' signaled the end of art.
In 1998, controversial Australian architect Harry Seidler opened the Horizon building in Darlinghurst, Sydney. With a career then spanning 50 years, Seidler spoke with the ABC's David Hannam about longevity in design.
Robin Boyd was one of Australia's most influential architects and a champion of the public benefits of good design. 'Everyone who creates a bad building is, in some sort of a way, committing a crime against society'.
Jewish Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind visited Melbourne in 1997 to judge the International competition for the city's now iconic Fed Square. Here, he talks to the ABC about the role of architecture as public art.
Renowned for bringing nuance and a distinctly Australian voice to crime fiction, novelist and historian Peter Corris passed away this month. Here, he discusses the evolution of his best-known character 'Cliff Hardy'.
French-born Australian artist and lifelong bohemian, Mirka Mora left an indelible mark on the streets, cafes and galleries of Melbourne. A darling of the Australian arts scene, this episode of Rewind is dedicated to her.
In remembering Australian painter and illustrator Charles Blackman OBE, we Rewind to 1966 when a 38-year-old Blackman sat down with the ABC's Tony Morphett to discuss the themes and forms explored within his work.
Following the rise of electro-funk and house in the '80s, electronic dance music, or EDM, became the hallmark of '90s rave culture. 'Recovery' hit up the 1998 Apollo Festival to catch EDM giants Daft Punk and Basement Jaxx.
From the streets of 1980's New York to urban Australia, breakdancing swept curbsides and nightclubs to become a global dance craze. As with any youth-driven movement, it was not without its detractors as 'Antenna' found out.
After 'Saturday Night Fever' took the world by storm, couples from around Australia put their disco moves to the test on 'Countdown'. The winning team grooved to the Bee Gees' 'You Should be Dancing' and it's total gold.
The success of classic Broadway musicals 'No, No Nanette' and 'Irene' in the early '70s saw a welcome uptick in the popularity of tap dancing. 'This Day Tonight' joined tapper Danny Davis to pick up a few of the basics.
This Day Tonight captures the revival of ballroom dancing amidst the burgeoning discotheque scene of the late 1960's.
In 1963, the ABC aired this rather conservative take on the popular '60s dance craze 'the stomp'. It's hard to believe this charming little romp was once considered little more than a troublesome, noisey ruckus!
In this segment from 'Weekend Magazine', we revisit some of the iconic social dances of the 20th Century. As our ABC Reporter reflects, "Perhaps nothing recalls a bygone age better than its dances."
Back when rock 'n' roll was king, Melbourne groovers bucked the trend and hit the dance floor to trad jazz. An homage to the Dixieland era, trad was popular in the late '50s and early '60s and St Kilda was its hotbed.
If you were a teen in the late '50s, chances are your Saturday nights were spent watching Johnny O'Keefe on 'Six O'Clock Rock'. This clip features two fabulous dancers, a swinging crowd, and a tune from the Wild One himself.
To thwart dancing in milk bars and on street corners, the Eastern Suburbs Police Citizens Boy's Club threw Rock 'n' Roll dance parties for teens in 1958. 'Weekend Magazine' tagged along to see what the fuss was about.
Internationally acclaimed video and photographic artist Tracey Moffatt spoke with the ABC's Review in 1989 about the concepts explored in her work. The program was filmed shortly before her iconic exhibition 'Something More'.
Esteemed 20th Century Australian poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal was a descendent of the Noonuccal people of Minjerribah. Then known as Kath Walker, she spoke with the ABC in 1967 about her life, work and the importance of respect.
Sally Morgan is an author and artist of the Palku and Nyamal peoples of the Pilbara. Best known for her 1987 autobiography 'My Place', here she reflects on discovering her heritage and the journey to becoming a writer.
The late singer-songwriter and Ngarrindjeri woman Ruby Hunter was the first Indigenous woman to sign with a major record label. Here, she's interviewed alongside her partner in life and song, Archie Roach.
Leah Purcell is a proud Goa-Gunggari-Wakka Wakka Murri woman and award-winning Actor, Director and Writer. In 1995, Wendell Sailor interviewed her for 'Blackout' about her early life, and balancing family with performing.
Artist Bronwyn Bancroft's work spans 3 decades. In 1997, the Djanbun clan member of the Bundjalung nation spoke to the ABC about her work, the appropriation of Indigenous art and the need for greater representation for women.
Renowned Indigenous Australian filmmaker and Sydney Festival regular Warwick Thornton talks with Margaret Pomeranz about the process of making his first feature 'Samson and Delilah' for At the Movies back in 2009.
Recorded via satellite in 2004, Philip Seymour Hoffman speaks with Margaret Pomeranz about his acting career and Richard Kwietniowski's 2003 film 'Owning Mahowny' for which he played the titular character Dan Mahowny.
In 1998 Jill Bilcock was one of Australia's most sought-after film editors and today she is still in high demand. Reporter Madeleine Swain spoke with her about her process and working with high profile directors.
David Stratton interviews prolific American filmmaker Spike Lee about 'Jesus Children of America' which premiered as one of seven short films for the project 'All The Invisible Children' at the Venice Film Festival in 2005.
Internationally acclaimed Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker Wong Kar-wai speaks with Margaret Pomeranz about his early life, career, and the importance of "following your heart".
Australian Animator, Screenwriter and Director Sarah Watt spoke with Margaret Pomeranz for At The Movies in 2005 about the theme of living with fear in her work and her first foray into feature film with 'Look Both Ways'.
Slightly giddy with admiration, David Stratton interviews one of his faves, the Finnish director, producer, writer and editor, Aki Kaurismaki. Footage was shot at Cannes in 2007 for ABC's At The Movies.
Visionary American Filmmaker, Screenwriter and Artist Gus Van Sant speaks with Margaret Pomeranz about his early years as a painter, the transition to directing and his rather impressive catalogue of films.
Australian Director Gillian Armstrong, renowned for 'My Brilliant Career' sat down with Sunday Afternoon's Peter Castaldi in 1995 to talk about the role of film festivals in her life and career.
David Stratton interviews Australian Director Rowan Woods about his 2005 feature 'Little Fish', starring Cate Blanchett as Tracy, a working-class hero struggling with addiction and her past life.
Arrernte and Kalkadoon woman Rachel Perkins is one of Australia's most successful directors. Reporter Madeleine Swain speaks to her about her triumphant first feature Radiance, based on the Louis Nowra play, released in 1998.
At the 19th Sydney Film Festival, David Stratton speaks with festival entrant and renowned theatre director Jim Sharman who in 1972 turned his hand to film directing with the experimental 'Shirley Versus the Aliens'.
Reporter Albie Thoms interviews filmmakers Philippe Mora, Frank Shields and Russell Mulcahy about their entries for the 22nd Sydney Film Festival in 1975.
In 1974, David Stratton was the Sydney Film Festival Director. Then presenter for the classic ABC show GTK Garry Hyde sat down with him to discuss the program at Sydney's iconic State Theatre.
Filmmaker Jorn Donner and a former Sydney Film Festival Director, who you may recognise as a young David Stratton, take a stand against film censorship at the 14th Sydney Film Festival. Taken from This Day Tonight 1967.
Reporter Helene Chung, the ABC's first female foreign correspondent, discusses early Australian cinema and the silent era with expert Pat Gordon and actor Ken Wayne who starred in Charles Chauvel's 1949 'Sons of Mathew'.
Selections from the 1995 documentary about the life and work of David Williamson. Renowned for The Removalists and Don's Party, Williamson's satirical but incisive commentary on working class life has come to define his work.
In the '60s and '70s, playwright Jack Davis wielded pen and paper in the fight for Indigenous rights. His plays No Sugar and The Dreamers put Indigenous stories centre stage and are still studied in schools today.
Dorothy Hewett was one of Australia's pioneering female playwrights. Known for her raunchy and political subjects, this ex-communist was a dissenting female voice at a time when Australian playwriting was dominated by men.
Nick Enright, renowned for penning The Boy From Oz, the screenplay for Cloudstreet and a raft of Aussie plays, would have been 68 this year. Fifteen years since his death, his musings on playwriting remain prescient.
Is drag clowning? What is a sex clown? And how do you even become a clown? We go behind the face paint and delve into the age-old figure of the clown, asking performers how are reinterpret the timeless practice.
In the 1990s, the discussion around sexual assault on campus was brought to the fore, yet in a period when feminism was a dirty word. Lateline explored the debates around feminism as a third wave began to arise.
"Are they marching towards some sexless 1984?" The Women's Liberation movement as covered by male journalists in 1970.
Suffragettes and Suffragists are distinctly different groups - the latter is far more conservative. Here, a journalist interviews Suffragist Helen Moyes about being a Suffragette despite her continual attempts to correct him.
In 1975 Margaret Valadian was asked what the Indigenous community thought of International Women's Year. She highlighted that the Women's Liberation movement barely took Indigenous Women into account.
All About Women's Suffragettes to Social Media panel at the Sydney Opera House united great feminists across the four waves. We ask panelists Anne Summers, Rebecca Walker & Barbara Caine to refelct on the media of each wave.
In 1970, when society could barely fathom the idea of lesbian relationships, This Day Tonight spoke with young couple Phyllis and Francesca. Decades later, the pair reflect on the impact of speaking out.
This edited ABC documentary from 1971 follows dancers from the Australian Ballet School as they undertake the daily physical and academic rigours required for a career at the top of their discipline.
As the founding Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet, Dame Peggy Van Praagh was instrumental in lifting Australia's standard of dance to match the rest of the world. Dame Peggy spoke to This Day Tonight in June 1975.
In its quest for a wider audience in 1984, the Sydney Opera House released 200 free ballet tickets to residents of Sydney's outer suburbs. Nationwide spoke to attendees who felt the ballet wasn't ordinarily for them.
The launch of the Australian Ballet's inaugural season was just weeks away but there was a problem: a serious shortage of male dancers. Weekend Magazine visited the company and saw firsthand the makings of a premier danseur.
At Jackaroo Ranch, roughly 50km outside of Sydney, 50 girls from all over Australia attended one of the most unusual ballet schools in the world.