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All of these combine to create what Moran describes as "a distinctive Heyer signature. On the one hand a populism and a commitment to postwar reconstruction ... yet there is also a marked pictorialism. The images are frequently cut together into dynamic montage sequences, the rhythm of the soundtrack
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The dates cited below may vary in different sources; the terminology used for role attribution in documentary film is not always clearly articulated so that such terms as 'producer' and 'director' listed here may not necessarily be those used on the work itself. Works not listed include many of the
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In 1982, Heyer said "A documentary film increases understanding of the subject and brings out its meaning or significance. At best it enlightens and stimulates; at worst it deceives. It must necessarily be highly creative, but to limit it to the creative treatment of actuality is inadequate. Whether
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In 1977, John Heyer had done extensive research to establish the predicted area the
Pandora wreck was in and launched a discovery expedition with the help of Steve Domm. Ben Cropp, a television film maker, gained knowledge of Heyer's expedition and decided to launch his own search with the intention
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For Heyer, production was only the beginning of the process. He saw distribution as being a critical issue for documentaries and was committed to developing good distribution networks. In an interview in 1976, he agreed that Shell's commitment to distribution, with its libraries and its vans fitted
205:, the son of a doctor. He was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne. In 1942, he married Dorothy Agnes Greenhalgh (1916–1969) who was known, and credited, as Janet Heyer. They had two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine (more commonly called Anna) and a son called Frederick.
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He was committed to the whole process of filmmaking from the initial research phase to distribution and exhibition. While he was grounded in the
British documentary tradition, particularly during his years at the Australian National Film Board working under Ralph Foster and
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In other words, Heyer believed that documentary had to tell the truth about its subject but that it could use any of the tools at its disposal: re-enactment, drama, history, science. This was something he had demonstrated, to both critical and popular acclaim, in
180:
Heyer was an active participant in the documentary film movement in
Australia in the 1940s and 1950s: he was among the first producers employed by the Australian National Film Board, was head of the Shell Film Unit in Australia, and was President of the
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Heyer left the government film unit to head the Shell Film Unit (Australia) in 1948. He was asked to produce a documentary that would capture the essence of
Australia and in so doing associate Shell with Australia. The result
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He moved to
England in 1956 where he continued to make films for Shell, and then through his own company. While he died in England, he maintained contact with Australia throughout his life, producing films in both countries.
450:(1944–1945), his training in the Grierson tradition under Stanley Hawes at the Australian National Film Board (1945 1948), and his interest in the British, Russian and American documentaries of the 1930s and 1940s.
290:. It was on this film that he started to develop his vision of making the Australian landscape an active ingredient in Australian films. He strongly supported government involvement in film production and, when the
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Heyer lived in
England for the rest of his life, but maintained a base in Australia, and regularly travelled between the two countries. In his later years, he continued to be in demand at conferences, such as the
208:
The Heyers moved to
England in 1956, and he lived there for the rest of his life, although he regularly returned to Australia and, at times, spent significant times there researching and producing films.
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and they became good friends, actively reading contemporary avant-garde cinema journals, which analysed the work and theories of
European and Russian filmmakers, and watching such Soviet films as
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In 1956, he was appointed
Executive Producer, Films and Television, for Shell International in London. During the 1950s and 60s he produced or directed over 60 films for Shell, including
469:. These films are good examples of the way Heyer engaged "the aesthetic strategies of international documentary movement filtered through a particular Australian creative imagination".
374:(1954) which quickly became a significant film in European and Australian film circles winning awards at several international festivals, including the Grand Prix Assoluto at the 1954
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Heyer's films garnered over 20 awards at various international film festivals. The following list represents a small sample of these awards and of other recognition he received:
228:
John Heyer was apprenticed to the scientific instrument makers, Alger & Son but, having learnt sound recording and film projection at night school, he obtained a job with
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In an article in 1957, he praised Shell for being "the first entry of a major private sponsor into the production and distribution of films in
Australia on a solid basis".
163:
John Heyer spent the majority of his career producing and/or directing sponsored documentaries, and was active from the 1930s until his death. His most successful film was
317:
As a young man learning his trade in the 1930s, John Heyer was keen to expand his knowledge of international films. He worked with another young filmmaker of the period,
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and the Australian History and Film Conference, and other speaking engagements for his expertise and knowledge about documentary film-making in particular.
263:(1940) for the Milk Board. During these apprenticeship years, he worked with some of Australia's most experienced directors and cinematographers, including
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While, after his initial start in the industry, his career was primarily focused on documentary film, he had a long-standing wish to film
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In 1967 he retired from Shell and set up the John Heyer Film Company through which he produced a series of documentaries including
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A keen supporter of films and the film industry all his life, he was actively involved in promoting and developing the Australian
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of following Heyer by boat; in this way Ben Cropp found the Pandora wreck on the Great Barrier Reef just before John Heyer did.
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Dawson, Jonathan (2006) "Australia" in Aitken, Ian (ed) "Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film", New York, Routledge, pp 56– 61
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Cottle, Drew and Keys, Angela (2006) "From Colonial Film Commissioner to political pariah: Joris Ivens and the making of
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Academics and critics have written extensively on his influences, citing particularly his work with Harry Watt on
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https://web.archive.org/web/20070423034318/http://beyondrightandleft.com.au/archives/2005/08/australian_film.html
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For service to the media as a pioneer of documentary film in Australia and as a film producer and film director.
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Williams, Deane (2002) "International documentary film-maker: John Heyer (14/9/1916-19/6/2001)" in
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or not it involves reality is unimportant: the essential thing is that it achieve its objective".
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in 1934 working with sound engineers, editors and cameramen. When Efftee closed in 1935, he joined
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was established in 1945, he was appointed its first senior producer. During this time he produced
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Langer, John (1982) "What is a documentary" in Lansell, Russell and Beilby, Peter (ed)
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with projectors, was one of the issues that prompted his move from the Film Board.
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filmmaker, who is often described as the father of Australian documentary film.
169:(1954), but many of his films garnered awards at festivals around the world.
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Glenn, Gordon and Stocks, Ian (1976) "John Heyer: Documentary Filmmaker" in
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1983: Retrospectives of his films at the Melbourne and Sydney Film Festivals
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and the Sydney Film Society, and was involved in the establishment of the
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Heyer, John (1957) "Geography and the documentary film in Australia" in
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which won awards at Cannes, Venice, London and Turin Film Festivals.
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1124:. No. 130. New South Wales, Australia. 22 July 1951. p. 12
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McKnight, David (2004) "Australian film and the culture war" in
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Continuum : The Australian journal of media & culture
622:(Camera for the scene which became the opening sequence, 1945)
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1958: Kodak Festival Award at the Melbourne Film Festival for
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177:, he developed his own style noted for its lyrical quality.
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controlling and orchestrating the rhythm of the cutting".
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movement in the 1940s and 1950s. He was president of the
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Janet Heyer died in 1969, and John Heyer died in 2001 in
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Continuum: The Australian journal of media & culture
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Continuum: The Australian journal of media & culture
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In these early years he worked on such feature films as
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O'Regan, Tom (1987a) "Australian film in the 1950s" in
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Cunningham, Stuart (1987) "To go back and beyond" in
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Lamb: The Story of the Fat Lamb Industry in Australia
156:(14 September 1916 – 19 June 2001) was an Australian
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1166:Hayward, Anthony (2001) "Obituary: John Heyer" in
1330:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
481:in 1954, and it remained his driving philosophy.
1208:Projecting Australia: government film since 1945
1267:Lansell, Russell and Beilby, Peter (ed) (1982)
425:Australian International Documentary Conference
185:and on the committee which organised the first
1225:South Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1999
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649:(Second Unit Director and Scriptwriter, 1946)
357:Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
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359:, which suspected him of being a communist.
355:also brought him to the notice of ASIO, the
16:Australian documentary filmmaker (1916–2001)
1178:Vol. xxx No. 5 (Sept 1957) pp. 234–242
870:(Producer, Director and Scriptwriter, 1977)
643:(Producer, Director and Scriptwriter, 1946)
628:(Producer, Director and Scriptwriter, 1946)
101:Janet Heyer (née Dorothy Agnes Greenhalgh)
1132:– via National Library of Australia.
27:
1230:Australian cinema: the first eighty years
1238:movinghistory: 60 yearsof Film Australia
1190:War cameraman: the story of Damien Parer
1010:movinghistory: 60 yearsof Film Australia
633:The Australian National Film Board years
1279: : Interview with Ross Gibson" in
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548:for services to Australian documentary.
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539:OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia)
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1082:"Stanley Hawes Award - Past Winners"
334:Australian Council of Film Societies
1223:Oxford companion to Australian film
921:Oxford companion to Australian film
457:His most significant films include
86:Documentary film producer, director
971:Glenn and Stocks (1976) p.190, 121
815:(Producer, 1958) OR The Paying Bay
783:Saving Petrol: Correct Maintenance
777:Saving Petrol: Correct Lubrication
703:(Director and Scriptwriter, 1948)
408:Australian Conservation Foundation
351:movement during the height of the
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1310:Australian documentary filmmakers
1269:The documentary film in Australia
1228:Shirley, G. and Adams, B. (1983)
1183:The documentary film in Australia
876:(Producer and Scriptwriter, 1980)
616:(Director and Scriptwriter, 1940)
610:(Director and Scriptwriter, 1940)
598:(Director and Scriptwriter, 1939)
531:For service to the film industry.
493:1954: Grand Prix Assoluto at the
19:For the Lutheran missionary, see
347:However, his involvement in the
980:Shirley and Adams (1983) p. 195
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1271:North Melbourne, Cinema Papers
1185:North Melbourne, Cinema Papers
735:Saving Petrol: Correct Driving
509:: Silver Medallion (Open) for
292:Australian National Film Board
21:John Christian Frederick Heyer
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1197:Media International Australia
1116:"Festival Fiims By Australia"
832:(Producer and Director, 1962)
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767:(Producer and Director, 1956)
725:(Producer and Director, 1951)
697:(Producer and Director, 1948)
691:(Producer and Director, 1948)
679:(Producer and Director, 1948)
673:(Producer and Director, 1947)
661:(Producer and Director, 1947)
655:(Producer and Director, 1947)
1248:No. 129/130 pp. 248–253
1295:Official John Heyer Website
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1121:The Sunday Herald (Sydney)
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1315:Australian film directors
1275:O’Regan, Tom (1987b) "On
1192:, Port Melbourne, Lothian
950:McDonald (1994) pp. 13–14
1236:"The Valley is Ours" in
1232:, Sydney, Currency Press
1168:The Independent (London)
1162:Sept 1976 pp120–122, 190
1057:"John Whitefoorde Heyer"
1008:"The Valley is Ours" in
729:Rankin's Springs is West
342:Melbourne Film Festivals
1199:May 2004 (reprinted in
1032:"John Whitefoord Heyer"
604:(Cinematographer, 1940)
602:Forty Thousand Horsemen
586:(Sound recordist, 1936)
398:John Heyer Film Company
323:The Battleship Potemkin
257:Forty Thousand Horsemen
1210:Sydney, Currency Press
1188:McDonald, Neil (1994)
1105:Cottle and Keys (2006)
886:Dubai: State of Change
856:Visible Manifestations
747:Getting out of Trouble
485:Awards and recognition
1206:Moran, Albert (1991)
1176:Geographical magazine
282:where he worked with
234:Cinesound Productions
145:John Whitefoord Heyer
42:John Whitefoord Heyer
1241:Accessed: 2008-02-19
580:(General hand, 1936)
574:(General hand, 1935)
553:Selected filmography
187:Sydney Film Festival
989:Heyer (1957) p. 242
689:Knowledge Unlimited
659:Journey of a Nation
546:Stanley Hawes Award
312:This Valley is Ours
300:Journey of a Nation
278:In 1944, he joined
203:Devonport, Tasmania
183:Sydney Film Society
56:Devonport, Tasmania
1277:The Back of Beyond
1061:honours.pmc.gov.au
1036:honours.pmc.gov.au
998:Moran (1991) p. 49
827:(Producer, c.1960)
759:Playing with Water
741:The Back of Beyond
701:The Valley is Ours
500:The Back of Beyond
479:The Back of Beyond
467:The Back of Beyond
463:The Valley is Ours
371:The Back of Beyond
201:Heyer was born in
166:The Back of Beyond
124:Irmtraud Schorbach
52:September 14, 1916
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69:(2001-06-19)
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1325:2001 deaths
1320:1916 births
1218:Vol. 1 No 1
1091:18 February
1066:5 September
1041:5 September
584:White Death
436:Capricornia
249:White Death
158:documentary
58:, Australia
1304:Categories
1141:References
1128:3 December
830:Tumut Pond
825:This is it
819:Arid Lands
596:2000 Below
284:Harry Watt
48:1916-09-14
32:John Heyer
753:On Stream
507:AFI Award
253:Zane Grey
251:in which
77:, England
868:The Reef
844:Race Day
765:Let's Go
572:Heritage
406:for the
404:The Reef
353:Cold War
241:Heritage
590:Holiday
218:England
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91:Spouses
923:(1999)
712:(1948)
558:short
544:1999:
537:1997:
527:1970:
505:1958:
338:Sydney
310:, and
214:London
75:London
905:Notes
442:Style
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130:(
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1130:2016
1093:2022
1086:AIDC
1068:2019
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497:for
461:and
340:and
271:and
197:Life
64:Died
38:Born
529:OBE
434:'s
368:was
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153:OBE
149:OAM
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