Heritage 1935 film

Heritage is a 1935 Australian historical film directed by Charles Chauvel, spanning 150 years of Australian history from Captain Cook's arrival to the Great Depression. The plot follows James Morrison, a young bullocky engaged to Jane Judd, who becomes infatuated with Biddy O'Shea, an Irish immigrant. After James honors his commitment to Jane, Biddy marries ex-convict James Parry and starts a farm. When her husband is killed in an Aboriginal attack, James finds Biddy mortally wounded but rescues her baby, raising him as his own alongside his son Tom. Decades later, Frank Morrison fights to save his station and falls in love with Biddy Parry.

The film was conceived in 1933 to compete for the Commonwealth Prize, a £2,500 award for the best Australian-made film. Chauvel researched extensively to ensure historical accuracy in props, costumes, and settings. The budget was £24,000, with filming locations including Efftee Studios in Melbourne, outdoor sites in New South Wales and Queensland, and scenes at Parliament House in Canberra. Forty Aboriginal actors were cast for a scene filmed in Canungra, Queensland.

Heritage won the Commonwealth Prize, praised for its pictorial quality and camera work. However, it received mixed reviews, with some critics calling it uneven due to budget constraints. Despite being considered a commercial failure, it matched box office takings of high-grossing imported films during its six-week run. In England, the film had mixed success, but it was profitable in the U.S. after being purchased cheaply for distribution.