Seeking Phar Lap material for documentary

New Phar Lap Doco - www.pharlapdoco.com

I am an Australian filmmaker who some years ago made the international award winning feature-length doumentary “Words And Silk”, about the Australian fiction writer Gerald Murnane (recently nominated for the Nobel Prize) and his passions for writing and horseracing.

I am currently undertaking research for a new documentary about Phar Lap's journey to America via New Zealand and various pacific islands in late 1931, as well as his time in America (NB: I’m not delving into theories about his death!) including his race win at Agua Caliente in Mexico, his unfortunate death in California, what happened after his death - the division of the body parts, the taxidermy, and finally the creation of "Phar Lap the legend".

For full details about this project I've made a website as part of the research phase; the site is www.pharlapdoco.com

As you will see from the website, I’m trying to find lost and/ or forgotten written materials (letters, diaries, journals) and visual materials (photographs, film-footage) that will lead to a greater understanding of the events surrounding Phar Lap on the voyage to, and while in America.

Obviously after almost 75 years this is a huge task in Australia, and even more so in the pacific region, including New Zealand and America. This is why the Phar Lap Doco website was developed.

Following the running of the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, at about 5.30PM (NZ time) I will be doing an interview on Radio Australia's "In The Loop" broadcast across the Pacific.

All relevant contact details are on the website .

ENDS

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