Australia’s most accomplished cinematographer and documentary filmmaker, Michael Dillon AM ACS FRGS, has been awarded the ‘Lifetime of Adventure’ Award by the Australian Geographic Society for over 50 years of adventure filmmaking – the highest honour for Adventure in Australia. Michael will be accepting the Award this Thursday, 6 February at the iconic Sun Theatre in Melbourne where he will screen his multi-award-winning documentary, The Great White Whale.
For over five decades, Michael Dillon AM ACS FRGS has been documenting adventures, big and small, with milestones including the first Australian Everest ascent in 1984 by Macartney-Snape and Greg Mortimer. His adventurous spirit dates back to 1963 when he was the first Australian to earn the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, presented by Prince Philip on the HMY Britannia.
“Documenting adventure isn’t just about recording achievements – it’s about capturing the human spirit at its most extraordinary,” said Michael Dillon AM ACS FRGS. “From Sir Edmund Hillary’s expeditions to climbing Everest from sea level, I’ve had the privilege of sharing stories that inspire the next generation of explorers.”
Celebrating the expedition’s 60th Anniversary, The Great White Whale draws on expedition footage to showcase the first adventurers who successfully navigated the roughest of seas and were the first to climb Australia’s highest peak Big Ben (a smoking glacier-ringed volcano located deep in the wild Southern Ocean) on the world’s “loneliest island.”
Award Presentation, Q&A and The Great White Whale Screening with Michael Dillon:
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Where: Sun Theatre (Barkly Theatre), 8 Ballarat Street, Yarraville, Melbourne
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When: Thursday, 6 February 2025, 6:30pm – 9pm
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Tickets: $30, or $15 for full-time students
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Bookings:https://
australiangeographicsociety. org/articles/the-great-white- whale
Other key films and TV series by Dillon include Everest: Sea to Summit, one of the most internationally awarded adventure documentaries ever, Everest: The Australian Assault, and Walking with the Great Apes. Michael was also on the filmmaking crew for the second season of Survivor which won an Emmy Award.
For tickets, visit https://