Australia’s Lost Pinball Machines | The Hankin Story & Star Wars First
Pinball machines lit up Australian amusement parlours, milk bars and pubs throughout the 1970s. But one regional company went further than most, designing the only Australian-made machines of pinball’s golden age, including the world’s first officially licensed Star Wars pinball machine.
This NFSA mini doco explores the legacy of A. Hankin & Company, a Newcastle-based manufacturer whose bold, locally designed ‘pinnies’ captured the spirit of 1970s Australia. From cricket icon Dennis Lillee to Holden cars, great white sharks and surf culture, these machines reflect a uniquely Australian pop culture moment.
In 2025, the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acquired five rare Hankin machines through the National Cultural Heritage Account, preserving a distinctive chapter in Australia’s audiovisual and interactive media history.
Featuring insights from pinball expert David Hankin, and drawing on research by Chris Arneil, this short film reveals how one small company made global pinball history, including an extraordinary story involving George Lucas and The Empire Strikes Back.
👉 Read the full story: https://www.nfsa.gov.au/stories/artic...
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