Inauguration of the Commonwealth


Inauguration of the Commonwealth was a 1901 Australian documentary film made by the Limelight Department of The Salvation Army. It was commissioned by the Government of New South Wales to record the Commonwealth Celebration Day.
It was Australia's first feature-length documentary film, going for 35 minutes. According to the Salvation Army's website, "it was five times the length of any earlier Australian film and was the first Australian film to use simultaneous multiple-camera coverage; it was the most widely distributed Australian film of its time."
Much of the footage still survives today.