Set in Waterloo, an inner city suburb of Sydney, this film describes the bitter and drawn out struggle of a group of residents to save their suburb from slum clearance and redevelopment by state housing authorities. Making extensive use of newsreels, stills and re-enactment, “Waterloo” examines the struggle in the context of the history of Sydney’s inner city suburbs from the anti eviction campaigns of the 1930s to the rise of the resident action movement of the late 1960s. This film shows how squatting and trade union intervention eventually succeeded in forcing the government to recognise the right of the ordinary people to participate in planning decisions affecting the future of their communities. Four months after this film was first publicly screened in 1981, the residents of Waterloo won their battle. The film played a major part in that victory.
How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
302202
Language
English
Audience classification
G
Subject categories
Agriculture, Business, Commerce & Industry → Housing
Agriculture, Business, Commerce & Industry → Housing development - Australia
Archival, Cinemagazines & Newsreels
Archival, Cinemagazines & Newsreels → Archival materials
Archival, Cinemagazines & Newsreels → Newsreels - Australia
Communications, Infrastructure, & Transport → Housing
Communications, Infrastructure, & Transport → Housing development - Australia
Communications, Infrastructure, & Transport → Public housing
Communications, Infrastructure, & Transport → Urban renewal
Documentary
Documentary → Documentary films - Australia
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Community organization
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Housing
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Housing - Social aspects
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Housing development - Australia
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Public housing
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Social action
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Sydney (N.S.W.) - Social conditions
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Urban renewal
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Housing
History → Australia - History
History → Australia - History - 20th century
History → Historical re-enactments
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)
16mm film; Access Print (Section 1)