Rediscovering a forgotten Australian silent film

A film once celebrated. A legacy nearly lost. This is the story of The Moth of Moonbi.

The Moth of Moonbi is a 1926 Australian silent film that has historical significance as one of the first feature-length films shot in Queensland and as the directorial debut of Australian filmmaking pioneer, Charles Chauvel.

Unfortunately, little more than half an hour of the original 2-hour 20-minute feature survives today, with the remainder lost to history. 

As a fragmented silent film with missing scenes and no ending, The Moth of Moonbi is all but forgotten today – little more than a footnote in the history of filmmaking in Queensland.  

This project traces the film’s history – its production, distribution, loss, and rediscovery – through to its current status as a safely preserved but little seen Australian silent film. 

It explores the use of filmed recreations of the film’s lost scenes to facilitate access to missing information and enhance audiences’ understanding of the narrative and characters. 

Through these recreations, this project hopes to generate greater awareness and appreciation of this important but forgotten film.

Welcome to The Moth of Moonbi project.