Curtin on the small screen this Sunday on ABC TV

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Curtin on the small screen this Sunday on ABC TV
C065/07
20 April 2007
The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library at Curtin University of Technology has been involved  in the development of  “Curtin”, a telemovie about Australia’s wartime prime minister John Curtin, which will air on ABC TV this Sunday.  

The JCPML’s Acting Manager Lesley Wallace said the Library was approached in 2003 to participate in the Australian production.

“Naturally we jumped at the chance to profile John Curtin in this way to potentially millions of viewers,” Mrs Wallace said.

“Over the years JCPML archivists and other staff have assisted the filmmakers by providing well researched background, advice and other assistance for the production,” she said.

“We provided archive information to assist with the script development, as well as some of Curtin’s personal memorabilia.

“We previewed the program and it is entertaining, informative and historically accurate.”

JCPML Historical Consultant Professor David Black said that the program depicts a year in John Curtin’s life and covers some of the most critical months in Australian history.

“The program covers the period when our very survival as an independent nation seemed under threat, the challenges this posed for Curtin and his colleagues and how he dealt with them,” he said.

“It has quintessentially captured the flavour of the man and what was happening in Australian politics during that time.”

Extracts from the JCPML’s extensive collection of written and oral history and memorabilia has also been used in the production of a study guide for educational purposes.

The Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) developed the “Curtin” study guide in consultation with JCPML staff who advised on the guide.

ATOM also used material from the JCPML website in producing the guide which is now available on the ATOM website (http://www.metromagazine.com.au/metro/) for free download by teachers and students.

The JCPML’s extensive collection of material on Prime Minister John Curtin can be accessed online at http://john.curtin.edu.au/