AustLit

'This year marks the centenary of Harry Julius signing a contract with Australasian Films to produce the weekly animated series, Cartoons of the Moment – an incident often cited as the birth of Australian animation. However, there were smatterings of work occurring in Australia even before 1915. This article looks at the earliest beginnings of Australian animation, focussing on the events, processes, and people who pioneered this medium from approximately 1900 to 1930. These early achievements range from the first Australian animated lightning sketches to the rise and subsequent demise of a major animation studio.' (Author's introduction)