Unfolding Florence: the many lives of Florence Broadhurst

Almost everyone thinks they know who I was and, of course, everyone thinks they know who killed me. A celebration of the life of flamboyant Australian design pioneer Florence Broadhurst, this highly original documentary explores the many lives of one larger-than-life woman. Acclaimed director Gillian Armstrong “unfolds” Broadhurst’s story from her birth, in 1899, into a farming family in outback Australia, to 1920s Shanghai, where she ran her own performing arts academy, to the fashion scene of 1930s London, and to her painting tours of northern and central Australia in the early 1950s. In her last incarnation, as a designer and manufacturer of wallpapers, Broadhurst produced high-quality, handcrafted wallpapers in luxurious, oversized patterns with vivid combinations of colours, inspired by an eclectic range of sources. More than 100 years after her birth, her work has been rediscovered by the world’s leading fashion, interior and homeware designers and her prints are in huge demand internationally. Broadhurst was brutally murdered on 15 October 1977 at her Paddington premises; and the killer has never been identified. Broadhurst was renowned for her flamboyant clothes, antique jewellery and coiffed, hennaed hair. “Unfolding Florence” explores her life in a vibrant and unconventional style, with more than a touch of humour and irreverence; a fitting approach to this unusual woman’s story. Cast includes Judi Farr (as Florence) and Felicity Price (as the young Florence).