Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Filmed in 1968 and presented in stunning 4K, this edition of Australian Colour Diary takes us to the Orange National Field Days in central western New South Wales, where farmers from across the country gather to see the latest agricultural machinery in action.
Set against the orchards and fertile farmland surrounding Orange, the film captures a showcase of new equipment, practical demonstrations and emerging techniques designed to help farmers get more from the land. Visitors watch machinery put through its paces, including earthmoving equipment used to construct a large dam as part of a comparative field test.
The film also highlights the region's important fruit-growing industry, reflecting the vital role agriculture played in Australia's economy and export trade during the late 1960s.
At a time when global concerns about feeding a growing population were gaining attention, the Orange National Field Days offered a glimpse of how technology and innovation could help meet future challenges. More than 50 years later, the questions raised by the film remain strikingly familiar.
Carefully restored and presented in 4K, this is a fascinating record of regional Australia, rural ingenuity and the evolution of modern farming.
The Australian Diary Series (1947–1970) records aspects of everyday life, industry and production in mid‑20th‑century Australia. To watch more Australian Diary films visit:
👉 youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCED13FCE809FD297
👉 Subscribe for more restored Australian documentaries, rare archive films and untold screen history: youtube.com/@NFSAFilmAustralia?sub_confirmation=1
From the Film Australia Collection, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
Title: Australian Colour Diary: 29 Orange Field Day
NFSA ID: HNG661PH
Catalogue ID: 12727
Year: 1960
Credits:
Production Company: Australian Commonwealth Film Unit
Director: James Fitzpatrick, Jack S. Allan & John Shaw
Producer: Richard Mason
Composer: Sven Libaek & Robert Young
#OrangeFieldDays #AustralianFarming #RegionalAustralia #AgriculturalHistory #FilmAustralia #NFSA #4KRestoration #AustralianHistory
Filmed in 1968 and presented in stunning 4K, this edition of Australian Colour Diary takes us to the Orange National Field Days in central western New South Wales, where farmers from across the country gather to see the latest agricultural machinery in action.
Set against the orchards and fertile farmland surrounding Orange, the film captures a showcase of new equipment, practical demonstrations and emerging techniques designed to help farmers get more from the land. Visitors watch machinery put through its paces, including earthmoving equipment used to construct a large dam as part of a comparative field test.
The film also highlights the region's important fruit-growing industry, reflecting the vital role agriculture played in Australia's economy and export trade during the late 1960s.
At a time when global concerns about feeding a growing population were gaining attention, the Orange National Field Days offered a glimpse of how technology and innovation could help meet future challenges. More than 50 years later, the questions raised by the film remain strikingly familiar.
Carefully restored and presented in 4K, this is a fascinating record of regional Australia, rural ingenuity and the evolution of modern farming.
The Australian Diary Series (1947–1970) records aspects of everyday life, industry and production in mid‑20th‑century Australia. To watch more Australian Diary films visit:
👉 youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCED13FCE809FD297
👉 Subscribe for more restored Australian documentaries, rare archive films and untold screen history: youtube.com/@NFSAFilmAustralia?sub_confirmation=1
From the Film Australia Collection, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
Title: Australian Colour Diary: 29 Orange Field Day
NFSA ID: HNG661PH
Catalogue ID: 12727
Year: 1960
Credits:
Production Company: Australian Commonwealth Film Unit
Director: James Fitzpatrick, Jack S. Allan & John Shaw
Producer: Richard Mason
Composer: Sven Libaek & Robert Young
#OrangeFieldDays #AustralianFarming #RegionalAustralia #AgriculturalHistory #FilmAustralia #NFSA #4KRestoration #AustralianHistory
