A City In The Country

From the Film Australia Collection. Made by Film Australia 1974. Directed by Jack Rogers. A study of many of the factors contributing to planning a new community. Questions addressed include the economics of industry, provision of necessary services such as school and hospitals, the impact on the physical environment and the big sociological questions that arise when there is a need to decentralise population and reverse the trend from country to coastal capitals. With 42% of Australia’s population in two cities, Sydney and Melbourne, there is a need for decentralisation. To help the states in this problem the Australian Government has acted to create a new growth area near the border of Victoria and NSW. This film studies the many factors involved in planning a new community.

[aussiejohn]

What an amazing step back in time and one I remember from my childhood. I remember my father considered moving from Sydney to Albury in the 1960's and he was outvoted by my sister and myself who made an awful fuss about the possibility of having to leave our friends. 60yrs later and I have moved into the area and wonder why it took me so long.

[Dallas-Nyberg]

A couple of years ago, my wife and I visited Albury for the first time. While we were there, we decided to cross the river and check out Wodonga. (we had never been to Victoria).

We bought some take-away food there and asked the cafe owner where would be a nice place to go to and sit to enjoy the food...
He drew a rough map on some wrapping paper for us to follow....
After a somewhat longish drive, we arrived at the destination on the map... a small village called Howlong.
We then realized that the fellow had sent us back into New South Wales!

[thomaselliott]

This is a true representation of the time. Charming. Thank you

[johnd]

At 2:04 we see $35, 000 for a house.

Now it would be more than that in government stamp duty charges etc. Before you start paying for the house.

[robertharle]

Commentator is James Dibble from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission).

[helixator]

Fund fact : The ABC did it’s bit towards restraining the national debt by reusing the same background music for all documentaries about Australian life produced between 1961 and 1974.

[americarsqueensland]

There's a lot LESS space in Sydney and Melbourne in 2022 almost 50 years after this documentary was filmed. Congestion, overcrowding have skyrocketed since 1974.

[gregpies]

I remember the brown smog that choked the city. I remember the smell of smoke in winter when people burnt wood and briquettes to heat their homes and they burnt their rubbish outside in incinerators and every year the bonfires on cracker night. Cars also ran on unleaded petrol and had no emission equipment. The air was so polluted in those days now the air is so clean and I haven't seen smog in decades. Not sure what we are supposed to do now for the climate even all of the manufacturing industries have gone.

[RichardFelstead]

I've lived in Albury since 1969.Came for a month, met my wife and rest is history.

[noelgibson]

Even now, nothing has improved. The coastal cities get bigger, whilst small rural towns that were still reasonably civilized in 1974, have virtually died away to nothing. The government has no problem in encouraging new immigrants to arrive in mammoth numbers, but then fails to redirect them to rural areas once here.
Other than Canberra, Australia lacks any inland cities with skyscrapers, industry and a decent vibe about it.
Overpopulated coastal cities or dusty, insipid, dying inland one extreme or another.

[Robochop-vzqm]

Back when people talked to each other. No phones, no email, just people who had to be outside instead of on a laptop.

[LeonAust]

Unbelievable what's happened to Australia's population growth and excessive emigration within her two largest cities.
Sydney and Melbourne have no need to be over crowed with people in permanent rental stress, the population centres of Australia needs to be to spread out to give quality of life.
Bring back government housing similar to what was done after WW2.
Close to 1 million dollars for a 3 bedroom fibro house in Bankstown is disgusting! especially with the minimum wages paid these days.

[Handleyman]

I look at this step back in time and lament the loss of innocence and unsophistication. It was a less complicated time then, but the need for constant growth has put an end to that. Therein lies the problem. I’m not a communist, far from it. But the underlying issue is that capitalism requires continuous growth, which at the end of the day is unsustainable. We are doomed to fail.

[w.bridges]

52 years we have lived in Albury, Wodonga

[test]

Borg Warner was making car parts in Australia. Unbelievable.

[rmw]

Just great 👍the pub owner what a champion he was 😂 loved it.

[BD-ylmh]

I don’t think I’m going to watch this whole thing, but just from the way the intro goes, and having gleaned a bit from the comments, I think it’s hilarious that they set up this paradigm of “cities are crowded and shit and polluted… so we propose creating another city to solve this problem”

[nicholasrayner]

Amazing!!! Thankyou NFSA Would love one from Bendigo

[SteveSmith-zzih]

i was in Howlong visiting in April/May 1974 and remember how clear the Murray was, people say to me its always been muddy, but it was beautiful and clear then, no carp lots of Redfin though, not many cod as illegal "Springers" had taken their toll.

[paultams]

Best thing that happened in Albury/Wodonga was the Hume Highway bypass