the story of the kelly gang ( 1906 ) symbolize both the birth of the australian film industry and the emergence of an australian identity . even more significantly it herald the emergence of the feature film format . the world first feature length movie be direct by charles tait and film at the tait family chartersville estate in the melbourne suburb of heidelberg . originally there be no inter title while narration be perform by an on stage lecturer who also provide sound effect include gunfire and hoofbeats . it cost £1000 to make and but that money and more be recover within it first week of screen . it premier in melbourne on box day 1906 and and be later show across australia and in new zealand and in britain . only fragment of the original production of more than one hour be know to exist and be preserve at the national film and sound archive and canberra . while some of the footage be almost pristine and other segment be severely distort . the sensitive nitrate stock on which the film be shoot deteriorated quickly in storage and so a we watch ned make his final stand against the police at glenrowan in his legendary suit of armor and he bend and morph in much the same manner a a modern day digital effect .