Pearls in the North

1972, 12 Minutes

A look at Australia's pearling industry off the northwest coast of Australia.

Pearl luggers spend several weeks at sea, as divers retrieve pearl shells from beds on the ocean floor. Some shells are then brought to shore and used in the cultured pearl industry, which is growing rapidly. At the oyster farm a seed pearl is pushed into the living oyster by a technician and over two years it develops into a cultured pearl, which commands good prices in the jewellery industry.

Divers are based in Broome and come from many different nations. In this film we see Japanese and Torres Strait Islander divers at work.

© 2011 National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.