Buddies Movie – Rubyvale

Buddies – a Gem of an Aussie Movie

A real-life tale of man-versus-machine right here on the Sapphire Gemfields, and how one man’s determination made sure it got to the people!

Released in 1983 and starring Colin Friels, Harold Hopkins and Kris McQuade, Buddies is an Australian comedy-drama film directed by Arch Nicholson. Written by John Dingwall, Buddies portrayed life on the Sapphire Gemfields during the machinery boom of the 1970s. 

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Highlighting the real-life conflict between machinery and hand miners, Buddies is the story of friends Mike and Johnny (Friels and Hopkins) who “have a go” at hand mining. Conflict arises when their pick-and-shovel operation is threatened by a large-scale bulldozer operator; this escalates into an explosive battle of men and their machines.
Can two young diggers take on the big machinery miners?

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Deciding to produce Buddies himself, Dingwall raised the money with the help of Rex Pilbeam, a former mayor of Rockhampton. Most of the money was raised in Queensland, including investments from the Queensland Film Corporation and many Central Highlanders. Shooting took place on location in Rubyvale and Emerald, and lasted six weeks.

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The film was not a great success immediately, as no Australian distributor wanted to release it. However, in true Aussie spirit, Dingwall decided to take Buddies to the people himself. He toured Australia with his movie, showing it at as many country cinemas as possible, where it was in fact very well received. Determination also paid off at the 1983 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, where Dingwall won Best Original Screenplay for his script.

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The movie was also nominated in these categories: 
> Best Achievement in Sound 
> Best Actress in a Lead Role – Kris McQuade 
> Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Simon Chilvers
> Best Original Music Score – Chris Neal

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This all-Australian movie can still be found on DVD. When you watch it, don’t forget to keep an eye out for some of our local identities who also enjoyed being extras in the film.

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Did you know that the pub that features in Buddies was purpose-built just for the movie! This single-storey wooden building was constructed to reflect the simple design of many outback pubs. The pub set the backdrop for many scenes throughout the movie.

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On completion of filming, the building was bought at auction by a local gentleman, who dismantled it and stored it in his backyard. There it lay in pieces for some time until a local couple purchased it and erected it on a block of land just south of Rubyvale.

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It became the hub of many community activities, including car rallies, and served as Buddies Social Club two evenings a week, and Buddies Restaurant the remaining nights. Buddies closed in the late 1990s and is now a private residence.

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Buddies Restaurant & Social Club. Car rally, circa 1993

Did You Know?

> The Australian Film Institute Awards, known as the AFI Awards, began in 1958.
> Originally covering only film, the AFI Awards expanded in 1986 to incorporate television.
> The awards have had several different designs presented to winners over the years. The statuette used from 1979 to 2010 (the one that would have been presented for Buddies) is made of four clear acrylic rectangular prisms on a silver metal base.
> The awards were renamed in 2011 and are currently called the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards.

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