“Coast Town” – A Prizewinning Film

With the increasing popularity of photography as a hobby, the Australian Amateur Cine Society was formed in Sydney in the early 1930s.¹ By 1937 it comprised ninety members, one of those being James Augustus Sherlock, a bookmaker from Bondi.² Sherlock was an accomplished amateur who won many prizes for his films, both in Australia and overseas.³

In 1939 the Society invited entries to find the best 16mm film made in Australia and which referenced Australian life or history. This was the first national competition of its kind and attracted twenty-two entries from around the country, the prize being a gold cup which had been donated by Sherlock.⁴

The winner was … “Coast Town” a film produced by Robert Lowe of Gordon, Sydney which was filmed around Harrington near Taree and recorded a few days stay, using the local residents to showcase life in this coastal area. It was praised by the judges for its unpretentiousness, beautiful photography and fitting soundtrack.⁵

First screened in Sydney, neither the local Red Cross nor the Wingham and District Patriotic Association were inclined to arrange a screening locally.⁶ However, it was shown in March 1941 at the Wingham Memorial Town Hall when it was included as part of a fundraiser for the Harrington Soldiers’ Comfort Fund.

Author: Penny Teerman

Note: This film is preserved in the collection of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. (http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;page=0;query=%22Coast%20Town%22;rec=0;resCount=10)