Andrew Pike OAM is a film distributor and historian, documentary film-maker and former exhibitor. He will arrive in Bathurst next week to deliver a presentation on the history of film, especially those made around Bathurst.

Hosted by the Bathurst District Historical Society (BDHS) in conjunction with Charles Sturt University, this free public lecture honours the late Theo Barker, who was a long-standing member of the BDHS.

It will be held at Charles Sturt University on Friday, August 16.

After completing an Master of Arts on the history of Australian cinema at the Australian National University, Mr Pike co-authored a book documenting Australia’s film history, Australian Film 1900-1977.

He worked for three years as a research fellow in the Department of Pacific History at ANU. 

There, he co-directed an award-winning documentary Angels of War about the experiences of the people of Papua New Guinea in World War Two. In 2008, he directed The Chifleys of Busby Street, a feature-length documentary.

In 1974, Mr Pike formed Ronin Films, which has been involved in many innovative distribution and marketing activities for Australian films such as Strictly Ballroom and Shine.

As both a distributor and exhibitor, Mr Pike has also had a long involvement with European cinema. In 2003, the French government appointed him to the rank of Chevalier dans L’ordre des Arts et Lettres for his promotion of French cinema in Australia.

In 2007, he was awarded an OAM and an honorary doctorate from the University of Canberra for services to the film industry and community. 

His address in Bathurst will cover early cinema in rural Australia. Part of his discussion will centre on silent films and early bushranger movies, as well as A Girl of the Bush, a film produced in the Bathurst region in 1921. 

The Theo Barker Memorial Lecture will commence at 6pm and be followed by wine and cheese. 

To book, phone Kate Esdaile on 6338 4645 or email kesdaile@csu.edu.au by August 14.