Frank Hurley

Biography

James Francis "Frank" Hurley (1885–1962) was an Australian photographer and filmmaker. He served as the official cinematographer on multiple polar expeditions, capturing raw footage that resulted in early documentary films such as Home of the Blizzard (1913) and South (1919). Hurley also worked as an official military photographer and cinematographer during both WWI and WWII, documenting campaigns across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. His broader filmography includes directing ethnographic documentaries and serving as a principal cinematographer on Australian narrative feature films.

Directed

1. South (1919) — Director
2. Jungle Woman (1926) — Director
3. Sagebrush and Silver (1941) — Director
4. Pearls and Savages (1921) — Director
5. Here is Paradise (1934) — Director
6. Home of the Blizzard (1913) — Director
7. The Hound of the Deep (1926) — Director
8. A Nation is Built (1938) — Director
9. Siege of the South (1930) — Director
10. Treasures of Katoomba (1936) — Director
11. Antarctic Pioneers (1963) — Director
12. Follow the Sun (1938) — Director
13. With the Australian forces in Palestine (1919) — Director
14. Ross Smith’s Flight from London to Australia (1920) — Director
15. Jewel of the Pacific (1932) — Director
16. Isle of Many Waters (1939) — Director

Also appeared in

1. Endurance (2024) — Self (archive footage)
2. Pearls and Savages (1921) — Self
3. Siege of the South (1930) — Self - Narrator, Photographer & Cinematographer
4. Antarctic Pioneers (1963) — Self - Narrator/Interviewee
5. Treasures of Katoomba (1936) — Self - Narrator (voice)
6. Jewel of the Pacific (1932) — Self - Narrator
7. Isle of Many Waters (1939) — Self - Narrator (voice)