Train Trip to Adelaide (1952) | Australia Railway Journey from Murray Bridge

Step aboard a 1950s Australian train journey from Murray Bridge to Adelaide. 🚂 This rare film was directed by pioneering Australian filmmaker Joan Long, capturing everyday life and rail travel in mid-century Australia. Produced in 1952, this short educational film follows young Richard and his mother as they travel by train from Murray Bridge to Adelaide, offering a vivid look at Australian railway systems, regional industries and landscapes. The film explains how ticketing works while documenting goods transport, signalling systems and the transition from steam to diesel-electric engines. Along the journey, we see wheat, livestock and mail being transported across South Australia, alongside glimpses of suburban and rural life. The film is directed by Joan Long (credited here under her maiden name Joan Boundy), one of the earliest women to direct films in Australia. She became only the second woman to direct for the Commonwealth Film Unit in the early 1950s, forging a path in a male-dominated industry. Long went on to become a major figure in Australian cinema, writing the screenplay for the landmark film Caddie (1976) and later producing films including Puberty Blues. Originally made for classroom use, this film now stands as both an educational resource and a rich historical record of Australian life, infrastructure and storytelling. Subscribe for more rare Australian films and historical footage: 👉    / @nfsafilms   Explore more from the NFSA collection: 👉 https://www.nfsa.gov.au Recognise a place or memory from this journey? Share it in the comments. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Opening – A train to Adelaide 0:30 Meet Richard in Murray Bridge 1:14 Railway yards – goods, wheat and livestock 2:14 Arrival of the diesel-electric train 3:08 Boarding and mail loading 3:31 Signals and safety systems explained 4:02 Departure – the journey begins 4:21 Views from the train window 5:15 Express trains and ticket inspection 5:52 Railway crossings and signals 6:32 Tunnels and track maintenance 7:33 Approaching Adelaide suburbs 8:06 Arrival in Adelaide 8:47 Reunion at the station 9:25 Engine maintenance and return journey From the Film Australia Collection, National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Title: RICHARD TAKES A TRAIN RIDE NFSA ID: W8JEZFD6 Year: 1952 Credits: Production company: Australian News And Information Bureau. Film Division Director: Joan Long Producer: Stanley Hawes Cinematographer: Reginald Pearse, Edward Cranstone #NFSAFilms #FilmAustralia #AustralianHistory #VintageAustralia #RailwayHistory #1950sAustralia #TrainJourney #Adelaide #MurrayBridge #ArchiveFilm