Film Archive
Australian circus artists appeared in an American newsreel as early as 1903 and in a Hollywood silent feature film as early as 1913. Unfortunately, no examples of these films appear to have survived the years.
Many other films of Australian circus and circus performers, known to have been taken in the early 1900s, have been lost or destroyed.
Fortunately, footage of Australian circus and circus performers, taken as far back as the 1920s, has survived. Some footage is found in newsreels, home movies and television archives.

Ashton
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I AcceptThe Seven Ashtons – Risley Acrobats
Circa. 1955 | USA
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I AcceptThe Seven Ashtons
Circa. 1960 | USA
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I AcceptThe Ashtons – Billy Smarts Circus
Circa. 1975 | UK
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I AcceptThe Warrens – Australian Acrobats
1994 | Australia
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I AcceptThe Warrens – Australian Acrobats
1994 | Australia
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I AcceptCon Colleano – Australian Tightwire Wizard
Circa. 1939 | USA
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I AcceptCon Colleano – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
Circa. 1929 | USA
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I AcceptCon Colleano – Home movies
Circa. 1929 & 1939 | USA
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I AcceptCon Colleano – A life commemorated
2005 | AU
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I AcceptWinnie Colleano – Trapeze
Circa. 1939 | USA
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I AcceptCon Colleano – Short Documentary
1994 | AU
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I AcceptCon Colleano – Cole Bros Circus
Circa. 1950 | USA
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I AcceptColleano Family
Circa. 1939 | UK
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I AcceptCon Colleano – Cirque Medrano
Circa. 1936 | FR
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I AcceptCon Colleano – Cole Bros Circus
Circa. 1949 | USA
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I AcceptSt Leon Troupe – Unknown
Circa. 1959 | USA
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I AcceptSt Leon Troupe – The Australian acrobats
Circa. 1949 | USA
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I AcceptSt Leons – Wirths Circus
1951 | AU
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I AcceptSt Leons – Sole Bros Circus
1949 | NZ
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I AcceptHoney Family | Coney Island
1926 | USA
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I AcceptThe Honey Girls | Acrobatic quartette
1956 | USA
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I AcceptHoney Family | Movie ‘State Fair’
1933 | USA
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I AcceptHoney Family| Newsreel
Circa. 1934 | AU
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I AcceptWirths Circus
Circa. 1954 | AU
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I AcceptWirths Circus & Zoo | Brisbane
Circa. 1934 | AU
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I AcceptWirths Circus | Departure to New Zealand
Circa. 1954 | AU
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I AcceptWirths Circus | Olympia Melbourne
Circa. 1934 | AU
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I AcceptWirths Circus & Zoo | Unloading
Circa. 1953 | NZ?
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I AcceptWirths Circus
1951 | AU
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I AcceptMay Wirth
Circa. 1924 | USA
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I AcceptWirths Circus & Zoo | Elephant Unloading
Circa. 1953 | AU
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I AcceptWirths Circus | Mount Morgan, QLD
Circa. 1953 | AU
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I AcceptCodonas | Polly of the Circus
Circa. 1932 | USA
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I AcceptCodonas | With Australian Vera Bruce
Circa. 1932 | USA
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I AcceptCodonas | Wintergarten Berlin
Circa. 1925 | DE
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I AcceptJapanese Acrobats | Risley & Foot Juggling
Circa. 1904 | JP
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I AcceptCaicedo| Columbian Tightrope Walker
Circa. 1894 | CO
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I AcceptLillian Leitzel | Aerial Gymnast
Circa. 1929 | USA
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I AcceptJulians Troupe Acrobats
Circa. 1902
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I AcceptNapier & Yvonne
Circa. 1920 | AU
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I AcceptBuffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
1902
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I AcceptGaston Palmer
1937
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I AcceptGaston Palmer
1939
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I AcceptGaston Palmer
1941
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I Accept