The series deals with changes in the physical, social, cultural, political and economic spheres of Australian life, using material dating from the beginnings of filmmaking in this country in the early 1900s. The archives of Film Australia were searched in order to produce this visual and aural record of the nation's past. Then, as now, filmmakers were focusing their cameras on Australian people and their lives, playing the role of social commentator. The filmmakers' viewpoints over a period of 80 years or so provide valuable insight into the forces that have shaped us and are continuing to shape the way we think and act.