BACK OF BEYOND - John Heyers 1950s Aussie adventure film following Tom Kruse along the Birdsville Track. Winner of the Absolute Grand Prize at the 1954 Venice International Film Festival and nominated for a 1955 BAFTA film award for Best Documentary Film. The development of inland Australia largely depends on the men who keep open the supply lines and communications - the outback mailmen. In an area larger than Europe, beyond the last roads and railways, their tracks make the map of the inland, become the roads of tomorrow and mark the growth of the nation. Across the centre of Australia ran an ancient 300-mile track that was used by Aboriginal people trading between north and south. Commonly known as the Birdsville Track, joining Marree in South Australia to Birdsville in Queensland, it was the main thoroughfare for Tom Kruse to deliver mail and supplies to outlying cattle stations. The Back of Beyond follows his remarkable journey and celebrates the characters that define outback Australia.
BACK TO THE BACK OF BEYOND - Forty years after legendary filmmaker John Heyer captured a uniquely Aussie adventure on film, we revisit the dusty outback once more as dedicated postman Tom Kruse returns to the rugged Birdsville Track to relive his past and comment on the future of outback Australia.Exploring past endeavours and investigating significant changes across the decades, Back To The Back of Beyond looks at the developing countryside, where the 300-mile track that was used by Aboriginal people trading between north and south became such an important lifeline to outlying cattle stations.An enlightening retrospective, John Heyer, Pat Jackson and Tom Kruse lovingly recount their life's work with amusing anecdotes and engaging honesty, providing a delightful companion piece to the seminal 1954 documentary. Special thanks to 'The John Heyer Estate' for their cooperation.