April 7, 2014

UOW uncovers earliest aerial footage of Wollongong

The University of Wollongong Library has uncovered the earliest known aerial footage of Wollongong, taken from a biplane in 1938.

“The footage was commissioned by C.F.T. Jackson – local representative for federal politician William Wentworth – to survey land available for development in the Port Kembla area,” UOW historian Dr Glenn Mitchell said.

The four minute black and white film opens with the biplane VH-UUI taxing at Mascot airport and cuts to the view as it flew south over Wollongong’s northern suburbs, past the township of Wollongong, around Tom Thumb’s Lagoon and Port Kembla, then on to Shellharbour and Kiama.

“The footage is a significant historic record and we are pleased to be able to make it available to the wider community as part of our ongoing digitisation program,” Director of UOW’s Library Services Ms Margie Jantti said.

“The extent of Tom Thumb’s Lagoon is quite amazing,” Ms Jantti added.

The original 16mm reel was digitised for the UOW Library by DamSmart, Canberra, and can be viewed below via YouTube.

Media contact: Ms Karen Illesca, Communications and Promotions Coordinator at UOW Library, +61 2 4221 3284 or kareni@uow.edu.au.