Tiny Oz, a new show aired by the ABC, celebrates the miniature recreation of extraordinary moments in Australia’s history.
Presented by comedian Jimmy Rees and miniature artist JoAnne Bouzianis-Sellick, the show will feature a number of craftspeople who obsess over the most miniscule of details.
“In 2002 I won the year 9 ceramics prize. Amazing I know,” says Rees.
“Fast forward 20 years and I’m excited for audiences to watch Tiny Oz and discover how much work is involved in making something you’d easily step on!“
Some of Australia’s most intriguing events that have nearly disappeared from memory will be on show, including the pearling town of Broome in decades past, a hot air balloon launch over Adelaide and the hundreds of exotic animals that walked the streets of Sydney in 1916 en-route to Taronga Zoo.
Airing today, the first episode sees the hosts view a tableau of Broome in the early 1900s, created by Lachlan Fraser. Depicting the town at the height of its Pearling era, the model reflects the rich history of the town – its indigenous heritage, the pearling industry and multicultural community – all in miniature form.
The second ep which will be shown on 3 May unveils a miniature model of when first aeronauts took to the skies of Adelaide. In the late 1800s, crowds gathered in the Botanic Gardens as a massive calico balloon inflated and lifted a number of cosmonauts into the sky. Hanging below the balloon, scantily clad trapeze artists spun on a swing before dropping back to earth with the aid of a parachute.
The episodes will air at 8:30 every Tuesday on ABCTV, and will also be available via ABC iView. Tiny Oz has been produced by Northern Pictures in association with the ABC.
Images: ABC
