The Great White Whale
ANARE Club Member Michael Dillon’s Multi-Award winning documentary film.
November 14 2025: Sydney, The Gold Coast and Canberra
For screen times and booking see
- GRAND PRIZE & BEST DIRECTOR, Mendi International Mountain Film Festival, Balboa 2023,
- BEST EXPEDITION FILM & ITALIAN ALPINE CLUB AWARD Trento International Mountain Film Festival. 2024.
- BEST FILM Sestriere Film Festival 2024.
- AUDIENCE AWARD Cervino Film Festival 2024.
- BEST FILM Ulan Unji Film festival, Korea 2024,
- GRAND PRIZE, Bansko Mountain Film Fest, Bulgaria 2024.
ANARE Club member Mike Dillon’s latest documentary film The Great White Whale has been screening internationally.
The documentary film captures the attempts to climb Australia’s highest peak, Big Ben, on Heard Island using footage from the expedition and interviews of those involved, among them some former ANARE expeditioners including 2024 Phillip Law Medal recipient Dr Grahame Budd. At this screening Mike will introduce the film and will hold a Q&A session.
The Great White Whale is a 104-minutes feature documentary with 5.1 surround sound.
Produced and Directed by Michael Dillon. Film Editor Michael Balson. Music John Crick and Paul Jarman
First part to ascend Big Ben 25 January 1965
L to R: W Deacock, J Crick, C Putt, P Temple (kneeling), (Photo G Budd)
Camp below Mawson Peak (G Budd)
Grahame Budd, Warwick Deacock (G. Budd)
Dr Grahame Budd
Dr Grahame Budd during the French-Australian Heard Island Summer Expedition 1971. Dr. Budd worked at Heard Island from 1954 to 2012, and published a history of the island’s exploration since its discovery in 1853. His contributions have been recognised by the naming for him of three topographic features on the island: Budd Peak, Budd Pass, and Budd Ridge.
Ascent (AAD RS33864)
Big Ben (AAD RS32227)
Mike Dillon with a Bolex Movie Camera at the screening (D Parer)
Further Reading:
- ABC NightLife 2025: Dom Knight ABC Sydney NightLife
- The Australian 2024: Dr Grahame Budd Interview, The Australian
- ABC Overnights 2024: ABC Overnights, Saturday 24th May (1hour in)
- ABC Great Southern 2024: ABC Great Southern, 17th Aug 2024
- The Australian 2024: The Australian 60th Anniversary Article, 22nd July 2024
- Michael Dillon Films 2024: The Great White Whale (2024 Documentary using original footage), YouTube: Preview
- Film Review 2023: The Great White Whale (David Parer)
- Yachting World 2023: The Sea and The Snow, a stunning tale of adventure (Tom Cunliffe)
- ABC 2019: Australia’s Heard Island: A mysterious land of fire and ice (Marty McCarthy)
- Australian Geographic 2016: Australia’s first ascent of Big Ben (Jared Richards)
- Australian Geographic 2015: Heard Island: The unchanging magnificence (Grahame Budd)
- Otago Daily Times 2014: Into the great unknown (Neal Wallace)
- Aurora Journal Autumn 2011: Heard Island – The Climbing of Big Ben (Tim Bowden)
- The Australian Women’s Weekly 1964: They’ll try to climb Big Ben on Heard Is. (Kirsten Blanch), (via Trove NLA)
- Aurora Journal Autumn 1964: The South Indian Ocean Expedition to Heard Island
AAD, G Johnstone 1970