Lens on Lilliput — searching for the theme

December 27, 2015 2:44 PM

Back in the early days of Australian television — back before I was born — there was a show on the ABC called "Lens on Lilliput". It was a show of its time where basically they showed the view from a microscope. My wife's uncle wants to hear the theme again and although all the family of his age remember the show, they can't remember the theme. Google has been of almost no use to me here and I'm hoping that maybe someone might be able to help.
posted by antipodes to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (3 answers total)

I can't find the theme, but after going down a few rabbit holes, it seems that the series was presented by Kenneth Cook through his company Patrician Films. (Ken Cook being best known for Wake in Fright).It looks like it was being broadcast on Sundays at lunchtime.

Maybe these clues help someone with greater Google-fu.
posted by girlgenius at 3:44 PM on December 27, 2015

Best answer: Lens on Lilliput episodes are stored at the National Archives of Australia. They have a status of 'not yet examined', which means no one has ever asked to see them. This means you will need to submit an 'application for access', so Archives staff can check if access can be made available. (They may need preservation work before they can be accessed, or be in a format which cannot be viewed on local equipment). You could contact the archives to ask them to explain this process, and confirm that, if the recordings are approved for access, you will be able to view them at the closest Archives office. (There is an office in North Melbourne).

(I'd hoped there would be episodes available at the National Film and Sound Archives, because you can view lots of their archival footage at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's Mediatheque in Melbourne, but no such luck!)
posted by brushtailedphascogale at 9:44 PM on December 27, 2015 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Arrrggghh! I'd checked the Trove at the National Library of Australia, but didn't think of the NAA. I've put in a request for a copy so we'll see what comes up of it. Thanks all.
posted by antipodes at 12:44 AM on December 28, 2015