Originally captured on black & white 16mm film, this home movie is from the George Gilltrap collection. George Edward Gilltrap (born Giltrap, 1911-1966) was a vintage car enthusiast who established Gilltrap’s Motor Museum in Rotorua before relocating with his family from New Zealand to Australia in 1959 where he established Gilltrap’s Gold Coast Auto Museum.
Steam engine tows bulldozer in forestry location. Bulldozer and train along tracks. Man working on bulldozer clearing bush. Bulldozer clears track through bush. Bulldozer drives through river. Logs on rail track. Men alongside railway line. Bulldozer pushes machinery onto truck, men working on boat. Bulldozer drives onto truck. Man pushes earth with bulldozer on cleared land.
[Scenes in Fiji of runway construction]. Men on Caterpillar bulldozer on ferry. Two young Maori men and army soldier sitting on boat. Barge on water. Truck in tide, men sitting on top of it. Bulldozer drives off truck.
Bulldozers drive in convoy, some towing heavy machinery. Machine towed by truck sprays water. Locals dance and perform for camera in group on beach, encouraged by soldier. Young boy climbs coconut tree. Large group of locals perform. Travelling shot from boat of large group of locals lined up along wharf, from boat, views of coastline. Boat towing second boat. Man driving machinery, men operating machinery (camera fault). Cars parked along shoreline. Man climbs palm tree. Plane [American Bomber B-25] lands on runway. Interior of plane cockpit. Man stands in front of plane. Locals pose in front of house, local girls dance. Plane taxis on runway , flies in air. Locals pose in front of house.
Caterpillar bulldozer outside “Gough, Gough & Hamer Ltd.” dealership. Bulldozer being driven from dealership and loaded onboard barge. Men on barge including Maori and child. Barge in low tide, horse and cart rides along beach. Scenes of caterpillar working in bush pulling out trees. Caterpillar hauls log. Tall native tree is felled. Machinery drags large log through bush into clearing. Vehicles drive past ‘Gough, Gough & Hamer’. Man gets into delivery van.