Best Australian history movies
A curated collection of popular history movies from Australia.
Lucky Country (2009)
Lucky Country (2009)
1902....the Australian Federation is a year old. Twelve year-old Tom's father, Nat, has dragged him and his sister, Sarah, to an isolated farm at the edge of the woods. But Nat's dream of living off the land has died and he is losing his grip on sanity. When three ex-soldiers arrive at their cabin one night Tom, like his father, believes they are providence.
Robbery Under Arms (1985)
Robbery Under Arms (1985)
Fourth adaptation and first made for television of the classic Australian bushranger novel "Robbery Under Arms" by Rolf Boldrewood. Made by the South Australian Film Corporation during the mini-series boom of the 1980s and lensed in the Flinders Ranges, it stars Sam Neill as the infamous Captain Starlight.
The Lighthorsemen (1987)
The Lighthorsemen (1987)
In 1917 when the British forces are bogged down in front of the Turkish and German lines in Palestine they rely on the Australian light horse regiment to break the deadlock.
Battle of Long Tan (2006)
Battle of Long Tan (2006)
In the gathering dusk of 18 August 1966, 108 young, inexperienced Australian and NZ soldiers are separated and surrounded, fighting for their lives, holding off an overwhelming force of 2,500 battle-hardened Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers. And, in the pouring rain, amid the mud and shattered trees of a rubber plantation called Long Tan, with their ammunition running out and another Vietnamese battalion massing for the final assault, the digger's situation seemed hopeless. Long Tan is the true story of ordinary boys who became extraordinary men.
Beatriz's War (2013)
Beatriz's War (2013)
Beatriz’s young husband disappears during the brutal Kraras massacre by occupying Indonesian forces, sixteen years later she is troubled by his return; is this mysterious stranger her husband, an impostor, or a spirit?
The Dunera Boys (1985)
The Dunera Boys (1985)
At the start of WWII the British Government decided to arrest all Germans in the UK no matter how long they had been there. Among those arrested were many Jewish refugees and many who were fully assimilated. This film records the story of a group who were sent to a POW camp in Australia aboard the Dunera.
Little Tornadoes (2022)
Little Tornadoes (2022)
A poignant drama set in 1970s Australia about a newly-single father’s efforts to weather the turbulence of change – in his life and in the world around him – while a new immigrant endeavours to find her place in a foreign land.
The Bizarre Trial of Doctor victor Frankenstien (2025)
The Bizarre Trial of Doctor victor Frankenstien (2025)
In the aftermath of World War II, the Nuremberg trials unveil a chilling drama, "The Bizarre Trial of Doctor Victor Frankenstein." Four scientists, Edward Klause, Stephan Maxis, Igor Fritz, and Victor Von Frankenstein, face judgment for their role in Hitler's covert "Project Iron Sight." Through flashbacks, Victor reveals their macabre attempts to create superhuman soldiers. The trial becomes a stage for ethical debates, exploring the fine line between scientific inquiry and culpability. The narrative exposes the moral ambiguity of each scientist, offering a poignant reflection on the consequences when intellect collides with wartime horrors, making it a riveting exploration of human nature.
The Forgotten Force (1994)
The Forgotten Force (1994)
After the atomic obliteration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, over 36,000 Australian men and women, part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), marched onto Japanese soil. They were assigned the toughest and most dangerous area of Japan: Hiroshima Prefecture, which included the atom-bombed city. The Forgotten Force tells for the first time the story of Australia's role in Japan. Rare archival and private footage, photographs and eyewitness accounts from both sides vividly recreate the atmosphere of post-war Japan - the horror of Hiroshima and its aftermath; the struggle to build a new "democratic" society while under the heel of military rule; the growth from suspicion and fear to friendship and trust between foes.
Travels of Marco Polo (1972)
Travels of Marco Polo (1972)
Explorer Marco Polo is assigned to accompany two priests on a mission to China, to try to convert the "pagan" Kublai Khan to Christianity. However, on a dangerous trek through the mountains, the priests decide they don't believe that China even exists, and when Marco tries to argue the point, they abandon him and turn back. He eventually makes it through the mountains and into the fabled land of China, where he is received at the court of Kublai Khan as an envoy. Accompanied by his faithful servant Pedro, Marco spends 20 years in that country, and when he eventually returns to Europe what he brings with him changes the course of history forever.
Prisoners of Propaganda (1987)
Prisoners of Propaganda (1987)
In 1943, the Imperial Japanese Secret Service made a film called Calling Australia! to show the "exemplary conditions" under which prisoners of war were kept, and to "soften up" the Australian public for the anticipated occupation of their country by Japanese forces. Prisoners of Propaganda tells why the film was made, and how it came to be forgotten.
Van Diemen's Land (2009)
Van Diemen's Land (2009)
The true story of Australia’s most notorious convict, Alexander Pearce and his infamous journey into the beautiful yet brutal Tasmanian wilderness. A point of no return for convicts banished from their homeland, Van Diemen’s Land was a feared and dreaded penal settlement at the end of the earth.
The Defector (2017)
The Defector (2017)
1967, the height of the Red Scare. Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt is embroiled in a power struggle after discovering his spymaster has illegally investigated and exposed Red sympathisers embedded within Holt's administration.
Oscar (2024)
Oscar (2024)
Oscar©, a powerful exploration of the life and writings of literary legend, Oscar Wilde. A spectacular new full-length ballet by Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon In a celebration of the beauty and complexity of love in all its forms, Oscar© brings queer romance to life through Wheeldon’s innovative and heart-stirring choreography. Oscar© journeys through the extraordinary life of Wilde – a man who dared to live and write with unapologetic boldness – while masterfully integrating two of Wilde’s best-known works, The Nightingale and the Rose and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Mozart's Sister (2024)
Mozart's Sister (2024)
For the first 18 years of her life, Mozart’s sister shared equal billing with her brother. Musical partners and collaborators, Wolfgang Mozart and Maria-Anna Mozart played together before Kings and Queens, and were the talk of Europe. What happened to her? Forced into retirement by age 16 because she was a woman, a stunning new investigation explores why she was retired against her will and the explosive theory: did Maria-Anna Mozart continue to compose in secret?
The Tracker (2002)
The Tracker (2002)
Somewhere in Australia in the early 20th century outback, an Aboriginal man is accused of murdering a white woman. Three white men are on a mission to capture him with the help of an experienced Indigenous man.
The Cup (2011)
The Cup (2011)
At the heart of this true story is Damien Oliver, a young jockey who loses his only brother in a tragic racing accident, hauntingly reflecting of the way their father died 27 years earlier. After suffering through a series of discouraging defeats, Damien teams with Irish trainer Dermot Weld, and triumphs at the 2002 Melbourne Cup in one of the most thrilling finales in sporting history.
Pacific Adventure (1946)
Pacific Adventure (1946)
An Australian biopic about the life of pioneering aviator Charles "Smithy" Kingsford-Smith. The film is unusually frank about the controversies that occasionally dogged him. PG Taylor and Billy Hughes both make appearances playing themselves.
Mabo (2012)
Mabo (2012)
The remarkable life story of Eddie 'Koiki' Mabo; a Torres Strait Islander who left school at the age of 15, yet spearheaded the High Court challenge that overthrew the fiction of terra nullius.
The 10 Conditions of Love (2009)
The 10 Conditions of Love (2009)
The 10 Conditions of Love follows the personal and political struggle of Rebiya Kadeer, the most galvanizing leader of the Uyghur people in 60 years. The Uyghur are China's Muslim minority. From poverty to wealth, protest to imprisonment, Rebiya now lives in exile in the United States. Here she is quickly gaining influential friends and media coverage to help her campaign for her people's human rights. As a result, her children are in prison in China This is a story about the ruthless oppression of 20-million people; of Super Power politicking; and of the pain of a deeply loving family torn violently apart.
The Path of the Dragon (1998)
The Path of the Dragon (1998)
Produced and directed by Walt Missingham who, in 1983, became the first non-Chinese to practice Kung Fu at the Shaolin Temple, this authoritative and informative programme uses rarely seen archive footage to trace both the history of martial arts and the phenomenal impact Bruce Lee had on this culture. Narrated by Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee Keasler.
Hawke (2010)
Hawke (2010)
The story of Bob Hawke - Australia's most loved Prime Minister as he faces his greatest challenge: a battle within his own party. As he fights for his life, we discover his incredible transformation from a hard-drinking womanising trade union leader into a visionary world leader. For a man who once sacrificed his family to his job, he must now rely solely on his friendships and allegiances to defeat his challenger and remain in power.
Remembering the Man (2016)
Remembering the Man (2016)
At an exclusive Catholic boys school in Melbourne 1976, Tim Conigrave and John Caleo fell madly in love. Their passionate, tempestuous, operatic romance lasted for 16 years, facing disapproval, temptation, separation, and the looming shadow of the Grim Reaper. Their relationship has been immortalised in Conigrave's posthumous autobiography Holding the Man (now a major Australian film directed by Neil Armfield). This is the true story of how Romeo met Romeo and how first love can not only last but endure.
The Fall of 76 (2019)
The Fall of 76 (2019)
A 27 minute documentary of the unbelievable controversies surrounding the game Fallout 76.
The Flood (2020)
The Flood (2020)
When Jarah loses her husband, her child, her land and her innocence she embarks on a brutal journey of of retribution and revenge that transforms into redemption and reconciliation.
Freeman (2020)
Freeman (2020)
The story of a nation coming together around Indigenous athlete Cathy Freeman who delivered when it mattered on the greatest stage on earth. 20 years on, Freeman sheds light on one of Australia's proudest moments. In 49.11 seconds, Cathy Freeman's win at the 2000 Sydney Olympics brought Australia together as a nation.
Still Standing (2023)
Wuthering Harlots (2022)
Wuthering Harlots (2022)
In the Eighteenth Century, London was the biggest city in the world - a global centre for trade, manufacturing and industry. Bigger and richer than ever before there was money to spend - and much of that money was spent on sex. The capital was a hotbed of prostitution and promiscuity upon which tens of thousands of women and girls worked. This docudrama offers a scholarly yet sensational romp through the brothels, bordellos, bath-houses, and baronial bed chambers of the capital, with eye-opening accounts, from the time, anecdotes, rich and vivid illustrations and rousing dramatic reconstructions with a narrative featuring recurring characters. We unveil a world in which tens of thousands of women (and men) were used for sexual pleasure.