Explore the process

Because The Moth of Moonbi survives only in fragments, key parts of its story - including pivotal character moments and dramatic scenes - have been lost. To help bridge those gaps, this project recreates selected scenes using a combination of historical sources and creative speculation.

So far, we’ve recreated The Moth of Moonbi’s final scenes – a turning point in the film that brings together its narrative and emotional stakes.

In this moment, Dell Ferris is abducted by villainous cattle duffer, Black Bronson. Dell and Bronson are pursued by Dell’s sweetheart, Tom Resoult, in a chase that leads to a dramatic cliff-fight confrontation.

This recreation was filmed at the original shooting location at Governors Chair lookout at Spicers Gap in Queenland’s Fassifern Valley.

One of the key sources for this recreation were fragments of surviving footage of original cliff-fight scene. Below is a comparison of footage of the original scene and the recreation.

Additional recreations are in development. These provide information about additional aspects of The Moth of Moonbi’s narrative and characters including Ferris’ involvement with Black Bronson, Tom’s role in Ferris’ death, and Dell’s resistance to the advances of different men in the bush and in the city. Together, these scenes aim to enhance modern audiences’ understanding and appreciation of The Moth of Moonbi. Each scene aims to honour Charles Chauvel’s original creative vision while asking an essential question: how do we preserve visual stories when the images are missing?”

Ferris’ involvement in Black Bronson’s cattle-duffing activities

Bronson’s pursuit of Dell and attempt to assault her

Martin Brooks’ efforts to woo Dell at a moonlight dinner party