A NORTH-EAST film-maker has taken his history of the region's ironstone mining industry on a tour of Australia.

For Craig Hornby, it is a big leap from selling out workingmen's clubs and the UCG cinema, in Middlesbrough, to playing opposite Sydney Harbour Bridge.

A Century in Stone, which explores Teesside's ironstone mining and steel-making heyday, opens in the Denby Cinema, Sydney, on August 1.

The cinema is in the shadow of the bridge which North-East workers helped create.

Mr Hornby said: "It is the ultimate salute to Teesside's unsung heroes, whose blood and sacrifice made the bridge and truly put the area on the world map.

"All the festivals and distributors in Australia would not touch the film so I contacted Denby directly and gave them the hard sell and they let me hire the place.

"As soon as I got it, I was searching for other independent cinemas in other cities. With Denby in place, it was easy to book the others."

To mark the bridge's connections with the region, Mr Hornby has had a 14ft banner made to hang off its steel frame, saying Made in Teesside.

He and fellow film-maker Ted Flint will present the Lord Mayor of Sydney with a DVD copy of the film, a cast-iron figure from the Teesside branch of the steel and metals union ISTC and a signed Middlesbrough FC shirt.

The pair hope expats will see the film, which is also visiting Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide between August 1 and September 6.

Published: ??/??/2004