“Tall Timbers” a tale of treachery and deceit

The 1937 film “Tall Timbers” directed by Ken Hall featured many scenes shot in the vicinity of Stroud and Gloucester on the Mid North Coast of NSW.

The screenplay for this all Australian production was based on a story by the famous photographer, Frank Hurley, who had joined Cinesound as a cinematographer early in the 1930s.¹ The timber industry was central to the plotline and many scenes were filmed at Simsville, a timber settlement deep in the forest near Stroud, and at Mr Archie Whitford’s property “Bungulla” at Upper Bowman near Gloucester.²

The Central Hotel in Stroud briefly became home to the production team³ while locals took the opportunity extended to them by the film company to visit Simsville one weekend to have a look “behind the scenes”, meet the cast led by Shirley Ann Richards and Frank Leighton, and to volunteer as extras.⁴

Filming in the bush presented many obstacles, from unpredictable weather to leeches and mechanical breakdowns, but the main problem was the filming of a timber drive whereby a hillside is clear felled by the domino effect of falling trees. After a few unsuccessful attempts, this eventually had to be staged on a studio set.⁵

Finally completed and accorded much publicity, “Tall Timbers” premiered in Brisbane in August 1937.⁶

Author: Penny Teerman