Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "australian-history"

1. Faraway Downs (2023)

38 min | Adventure, Drama, History

An aristocrat, Sarah has a cattle station in Australia. Following the death of her husband, a baron plots to take her land but she joins forces with cattle drover Jackman to protect her station.

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Shea Adams, Eddie Baroo

Votes: 3,004

2. Breaker Morant (1980)

PG | 107 min | Drama, History, War

Three Australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers.

Director: Bruce Beresford | Stars: Edward Woodward, Jack Thompson, John Waters, Bryan Brown

Votes: 14,440 | Gross: $7.14M

3. True History of the Kelly Gang (2019)

R | 124 min | Action, Biography, Crime

Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang flee from authorities during the 1870s.

Director: Justin Kurzel | Stars: George MacKay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Corbett

Votes: 13,194

4. I Am Woman (2019)

TV-MA | 116 min | Biography, Drama, Music

The story of 1970s musician and activist Helen Reddy.

Director: Unjoo Moon | Stars: Chris Parnell, Evan Peters, Danielle Macdonald, Matty Cardarople

Votes: 2,891

5. Gallipoli (2015)

44 min | Drama, History, War

Four young Australian boys join the military and are sent to Gallipoli.

Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Harry Greenwood, Sam Parsonson, Tom Budge

Votes: 2,387

6. The New Boy (2023)

96 min | Drama, Fantasy, History

A nine-year-old Aboriginal Australian orphan boy arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery run by a renegade nun.

Director: Warwick Thornton | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Aswan Reid, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair

Votes: 1,058

7. Ned Kelly (2003)

R | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Biography

An innocent man becomes one of the most wanted criminals the world has ever known.

Director: Gregor Jordan | Stars: Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Naomi Watts

Votes: 28,100 | Gross: $0.07M

8. The Dish (2000)

PG-13 | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, History

A remote Australian community, populated by quirky characters, plays a key role in the first Apollo moon landing.

Director: Rob Sitch | Stars: Sam Neill, Billy Mitchell, Roz Hammond, Christopher-Robin Street

Votes: 17,104 | Gross: $2.25M

9. Oranges and Sunshine (2010)

R | 105 min | Biography, Drama, History

Set in 1980s Nottingham, social worker Margaret Humphreys holds the British government accountable for child migration schemes and reunites the children involved -- now adults living mostly in Australia -- with their parents in Britain.

Director: Jim Loach | Stars: Emily Watson, Aisling Loftus, Stuart Wolfenden, Lorraine Ashbourne

Votes: 5,905

10. High Ground (2020)

104 min | Action, Drama, Thriller

In a bid to save the last of his family, Gutjuk, a young Aboriginal man, teams up with ex-soldier Travis to track down Baywara, the most dangerous warrior in the Territory, his uncle.

Director: Stephen Johnson | Stars: Guruwuk Mununggurr, Wakarra Gondarra, Mark Garrawurra, Neville Namarnyilk

Votes: 2,495

11. Against the Wind (1978)

617 min | Drama, History, Western

Mary Mulvane, an 18 year old Irish girl, is transported to New South Wales for seven years for doing little else than protecting her own property. She must endure the horror of transport to... See full summary »

Stars: Mary Larkin, Kerry McGuire, Jon English, Warwick Sims

Votes: 946

12. The Tracker (2002)

Not Rated | 90 min | Drama, Western

Fanatic is a government trooper who is heading an expedition to find an Aboriginal man accused of murdering a white woman. Others in the expedition are the Follower, a greenhorn trooper, the Veteran, and the Tracker.

Director: Rolf de Heer | Stars: David Gulpilil, Gary Sweet, Damon Gameau, Grant Page

Votes: 3,299

13. Spicks and Specks (2005–2022)

Comedy, Game-Show, Music

Adam Hills hosts this lighthearted music quiz show.The two teams are captained by Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough.

Stars: Adam Hills, Alan Brough, Myf Warhurst, Dave O'Neil

Votes: 1,169

14. Ned Kelly (1970)

GP | 100 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

The impoverished son of Irish immigrants is pushed by wrongful police persecution into becoming Australia's most notorious bushranger.

Director: Tony Richardson | Stars: Mick Jagger, Clarissa Kaye-Mason, Mark McManus, Ken Goodlet

Votes: 1,414 | Gross: $0.25M

15. Charlie's Country (2013)

Not Rated | 108 min | Adventure, Drama

Displeased with the intervention of whitefella laws, Charlie takes off to live the old way and sets off a chain reaction of enlightening difficulties.

Director: Rolf de Heer | Stars: David Gulpilil, Peter Djigirr, Luke Ford, Lizzie Durrurrnga

Votes: 2,798

16. The Last Daughter (2022)

90 min | Documentary, Biography, History

A woman searches for her former foster family, uncovering secrets about her Aboriginal roots and the trauma of being separated from both families. Her journey explores policies, personal identity, and the possibility of reconciliation.

Directors: Brenda Matthews, Nathaniel Schmidt | Stars: Brenda Matthews, Mark Matthews, Mac Ockers, Connie Ockers

Votes: 195

17. Manganinnie (1980)

90 min | Adventure, Drama, History

Aboriginal woman Manganinnie survives a Black Line raid which claims the life of her husband, Meenopeekameena.

Director: John Honey | Stars: Mawuyul Yanthalawuy, Anna Ralph, Phillip Hinton, Elaine Mangan

Votes: 187

18. The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906)

Not Rated | 70 min | Action, Adventure, Biography

Originally 70 minutes in running time, only 17 minutes of the world's first full-length narrative feature film survived in stills and other fragments and tell the story of Ned Kelly, an infamous 19th-century Australian outlaw.

Director: Charles Tait | Stars: Elizabeth Tait, John Tait, Nicholas Brierley, Norman Campbell

Votes: 895

19. Sunday Too Far Away (1975)

Not Rated | 94 min | Drama

A hard-drinking but hard-working gun shearer leads a group of Outback sheep herders into striking after wealthy landowners attempt to drive them from their territory.

Director: Ken Hannam | Stars: Jack Thompson, Max Cullen, Robert Bruning, Jerry Thomas

Votes: 947

20. Don't Tell (2017)

110 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

With help from a local lawyer, a young abuse survivor finds the courage to speak out when having a voice is her only option.

Director: Tori Garrett | Stars: Jack Thompson, Aden Young, Sara West, Rachel Griffiths

Votes: 419

21. Dark Frontier (2009)

R | 96 min | Drama, History, Thriller

1902....the Australian Federation is a year old. Twelve year-old Tom's beloved father, Nat, has dragged him and his sister, Sarah, to an isolated farm at the edge of the woods. But Nat's ... See full summary »

Director: Kriv Stenders | Stars: Aden Young, Toby Wallace, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Pip Miller

Votes: 319

22. Terror Nullius (2018)

54 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

A political revenge fable which offers an un-writing of Australian national mythology.

Director: Soda Jerk | Stars: Tony Abbott, Angry Anderson, Tom Burlinson, Stephen Curry

Votes: 94

23. Jedda the Uncivilized (1955)

101 min | Adventure, Drama, History

Set against the harsh natural surrounds of outback Northern Territory, Jedda captures a rare and honest glimpse into the heart and history of indigenous Australia. Young Jedda is caught ... See full summary »

Director: Charles Chauvel | Stars: Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, Robert Tudawali, Betty Suttor, Paul Reynall

Votes: 402

24. Burke & Wills (1985)

PG-13 | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, History

A story based on true events about two explorers on a doomed journey trying to cross Australia on foot in the 19 century.

Director: Graeme Clifford | Stars: Jack Thompson, Nigel Havers, Greta Scacchi, Matthew Fargher

Votes: 284

25. Wills & Burke (1985)

100 min | Biography, Comedy

Parody of historical epics that focuses on real-life Australian explorers William John Wills and Robert O'Hara Burkes, who tragically tried to cross the Australian continent from the south, to the north, a distance of 3,250 km.

Director: Bob Weis | Stars: Garry McDonald, Kim Gyngell, Peter Collingwood, Jonathan Hardy

Votes: 263

26. Answered by Fire (2006 TV Movie)

190 min | Drama

Set against the tumultuous lead-up to the 1999 referendum in East Timor and its horrifying aftermath, ANSWERED BY FIRE is a very personal exploration of first-world intervention in ... See full summary »

Director: Jessica Hobbs | Stars: Daniela Carvalho, Alex Tilman, Fatima Almeida, Damien Garvey

Votes: 260

27. Australians at War (2001)

446 min | Documentary, History, War

From the Boer War to the present day peacekeeping missions, Australians at War is the most comprehensive visual record ever made of our wartime history. Australian men and women, veterans ... See full summary »

Star: John Stanton

Votes: 45

28. Eureka Stockade (1949)

Approved | 103 min | Drama, History, Western

In 1854, Australian gold rush miners struggle for their rights against an oppressive government.

Director: Harry Watt | Stars: Chips Rafferty, Jane Barrett, Jack Lambert, Peter Illing

Votes: 210

29. Through My Eyes (2004)

240 min | Biography, Drama

The true life story of Lindy Chamberlain and her recount of a dingo taking her baby.

Stars: Miranda Otto, Craig McLachlan, Peter O'Brien, Steven Vidler

Votes: 178

30. Utopia (II) (2013)

112 min | Documentary, History, News

Exploring offenses practiced by popular media, big business, police forces and Governments helping the Australian 225 year campaign of genocide continue against Aboriginal Australians.

Directors: Alan Lowery, John Pilger | Stars: John Pilger, Jon Altman, Pat Anderson, Mal Brough

Votes: 445

31. The Battle of Broken Hill (1981)

60 min | Adventure, Drama, History

On January 1 1915, two Muslim men from British India went on a murderous rampage near a place called Broken Hill in New South Wales, Australia.

Director: Robin Levinson | Stars: Michael Pate, David Robertson, Harold Berrett, Margaret Atkinson

32. Silver City (1984)

PG | 101 min | Drama, History, Romance

After World War II, 4,000 Polish families came to Australia. They were Jews, Fascists, anti-Communists, and others dispossessed. In a large hostel, where even married men and women were ... See full summary »

Director: Sophia Turkiewicz | Stars: Gosia Dobrowolska, Ivar Kants, Anna Maria Monticelli, Steve Bisley

Votes: 102

33. Mary: The Mary MacKillop Story (1994)

75 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama

MARY is based on the true life story of Mary MacKillop who in the 1860s began an order of nuns to teach poor Catholic children in rural Australia. When she refused to obey the local Bishop,... See full summary »

Director: Kay Pavlou | Stars: Lucy Bell, Linden Wilkinson, Rebecca Scully-Webster, Brendan Higgins

Votes: 37

34. The Sentimental Bloke (1919)

106 min | Drama, Romance

A down-at-heal ex-convict undergoes an epiphany as he experiences the love of a good woman for the first time.

Director: Raymond Longford | Stars: Arthur Tauchert, Lottie Lyell, Gilbert Emery, Stanley Robinson

Votes: 299

35. Australian Made: The Movie (1987)

79 min | Documentary, History, Music

Australian Made: The Movie is a concert film of the 'Australian Made' tour from December 1986 to January 1987.

Director: Richard Lowenstein | Stars: Zan Abeyratne, Christina Amphlett, Chris Bailey, Jimmy Barnes

Votes: 43

36. Bastard Boys (2007)

Not Rated | 225 min | Biography, Drama

The true story about the war on the Australian waterfront, when on the 7th April 1998, Chris Corrigan and the Liberal Government at the time, conspired and illegally dismissed the unionised... See full summary »

Stars: Darren K. Hawkins, Ivan Topic, Kelly Hetherington, Lynne McGregor

Votes: 123

37. This Fabulous Century (1979)

30 min | Documentary, History

Documentary television series presenting a condensed history of Australia in the 20th Century using archival footage.

Stars: Peter Luck, Henri Bource, Col Joye, Erik Shipp

38. The Secret Country: The First Australians Fight Back (1986 TV Movie)

60 min | Documentary, History

John Pilger tells of their struggles of indigenous Australians as they were driven from their lands and he follows events throughout this century as they relate to Aboriginal rights.

Director: Alan Lowery | Stars: John Pilger, Vince Forrester, Mario Fredericks, Bob Hawke

Votes: 45

39. Tudawali (1987 TV Movie)

PG-13 | 87 min | Biography, Drama, History

Biopic that traces the life of Robert Tudawali, the first Aboriginal film star, whose lead role in Jedda the Uncivilized (1955) is iconic in Australian cinema.

Director: Steve Jodrell | Stars: Ernie Dingo, Peter Fisher, Charles 'Bud' Tingwell, Jedda Cole

Votes: 64

40. Monash

Biography, Drama, War | Announced

Sir John Monash, a complex, highly intelligent man loved by his men, is almost destroyed by the slaughter of his beloved soldiers at Gallipoli but he refuses to give in. He has to battle ... See full summary »

41. Once Upon Australia (1995 TV Short)

Documentary, Animation, Short

Australian claymation legend Nick Hilligoss depicts the evolution of life in Australia from first fishes and amphibians to dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals such as the giant kangaroos, as well as what comes after the end of Man's era.

Director: Nick Hilligos | Star: Sandy Gore

42. The Memorial: Beyond the Anzac Legend (2014)

60 min | Documentary

Historian Neil Oliver takes viewers on a never-before-seen look inside the Australian War Memorial, bringing to life Australia's rich wartime history through the artefacts and stories ... See full summary »

Stars: Neil Oliver, John Howard, Tony Abbott

43. The Story of Australia (2013– )

Documentary

The Story of Australia captures the stunning landscapes and people of contemporary Australia.

Votes: 23

44. Air Australia (2007– )

55 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

Australia's airline history is a saga of daring feats, can-do attitude, pig-headed visionaries, iron-fisted politicians, warring pilots; of humble beginnings and mega deals.

Stars: Colin Friels, Dustin Clare, Bob Brisbane, Matt Elverd

Votes: 11

45. Friends & Enemies (1987)

88 min | Documentary, History

One thousand power workers went on strike against the South East Queensland Electrical Board (SEQEB)in February 1985 in protest against the introduction of contract worker hire. This ... See full summary »

Director: Tom Zubrycki | Star: Vince Lester

46. Away (VI)

Comedy, Drama, History | Announced

In 1960s Australia, three families with their own problems set out for their respective Christmas holidays, but are driven together by a storm.

Director: Martin Horlacher

47. Wik vs Queensland (2018)

84 min | Documentary, History

A powerful insight into the High Court's decision to grant native title to the Wik people in 1996, and the dramatic political and cultural fallout that followed.

Director: Dean Gibson | Stars: James Fitzgerald, Janine Chevathun, Walter Sofranoff, Phyllis Yunkaporta

Votes: 22

48. Neighbours Revealed (2000– )

25 min | Documentary, History

A glimpse at Australia's longest running drama series; behind-the-scenes interviews and anecdotes from some of Australia's most well known actors as they guide the viewer through an average week in Ramsay Street.

Stars: Daniel MacPherson, Ryan Moloney, Ian Smith, Dan Paris

Votes: 12

49. Fifty Years of Australian Television (2017 Video)

312 min | Documentary, Comedy, Family

Over 5 hours of classic Australian TV on 6 discs, direct to DVD.

Stars: Joff Ellen, Norman Swain

50. Jonah (1962–1964)

30 min | Adventure, Drama, History

"Jonah" is a historical drama series about Jonah Locke, a merchant trader in the early Australian colony.

Stars: Hilary Bamberger, Neil Fitzpatrick, Brian James, Harry Dearth