The Story of the Kelly Gang

The nine-minute fragments that remain of The Story of the Kelly Gang, with its promotional booklet to contextualise the tale, have historical significance as the first Australian narrative film, and thus the foundation of a vigorous Australian film-making industry.

The film has creative significance as the germinal filmic representation of the Kelly bushranger legend, a central element in Australian culture, which has since been made at least 22 times.

The Story of the Kelly Gang was inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register in 2007.

Inscription Number: #8

Year of Inscription: 2004

Physical Location: National Film and Sound Archive

Details of still from The Story of the Kelly Gang,.

Stills from The Story of the Kelly Gang, the world’s first feature film, produced in 1906. Courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive