Intro / Chasing the Nightrider
The film begins with scene-setting shots of the Halls of Justice looking dilapidated and desolate roads with warning signs setting a scene of future dystopia.
This was shot by placing a fake entrance sign in front of old buildings, to set a scene of ruin and lawlessness.
Location: Port Melbourne Gas Works, viewpoint from the junction of Beach Street and Dow Street.
Let’s do a little then-and-now comparison: of the two photos below, this first is a shot of the same buildings from later on in the film (because they’re more visible due to it still being daylight). I’ve marked out some features that will identify the buildings in modern Street View.
This is from Google Street View from October 2022:
As you can see, the building has been extensively renovated, but it’s nice to see that some of the original exterior walls still exist.
The next shot is of a road with a skull and crossbones painted on it, emphasising the possible danger ahead.
Location: [Unconfirmed] Bacchus Marsh Road.
The shot fades to Roop spying on a couple having sex in a field. He’s plotted up on top of an old ammunition bunker. Charlie is relaxing in the car.
Location: Twentynine Mile Road, east of Avalon Airport.
Max is listening to the Police radio whilst performing mechanical work on his own Interceptor.
Location: Turners Road, at the intersection with Kirks Bridge Road.
March Hare is close behind the Nightrider.
Location: [Unconfirmed] Bacchus Marsh Road. Not many clues to go on here, but we can work on the assumption that the main chase on the clear open roads was shot on Bacchus Marsh Road. The group of trees on the horizon (and the ones to the left of it that are mostly hidden behind the roadside undergrowth) is the only clue we have to work on here, as well as the undulating road surface. What makes recognition even more difficult here is that George Miller wanted a low down viewpoint for a lot of the vehicle action, whereas the Google Street View cameras are mounted high on top of their cars.
Big Bopper joins the chase.
Location: Poustie Road. There is no Google Street View with which to try and replicate this viewpoint.
The Nightrider and his girlfriend, aka “lobotomy eyes” are enjoying the ride… so far.
Location: [Unconfirmed] Bacchus Marsh Road.
Charlie and Roop get to the main road.
Location: End of Austin Road, turning right onto Twentynine Mile Road.
March Hare, Big Bopper and the Nightrider’s paths converge. Big Bopper slides off the road and hits a road sign.
Location: Intersection of Old Melbourne Road and Little River Road.
March Hare calls Big Bopper to ensure they’re OK and they’re continuing the pursuit.
“We gotcha, we’re gone”
Location: Old Melbourne Road.
March Hare continues the chase.
Location: Point Wilson – Twentynine Mile Road
Charlie manages to start the car. Roop demands to take the wheel: “For Christ’s sake, shove over!”
The intersection is visible behind Roop’s head.
Goose is in a truck stop café eating lunch. The chase flies past and he runs out to his motorbike to get involved. This diner was the Pretty Sally Roadhouse, on the Northern Highway. It’s private property nowadays, and has become very dilapidated, but from photos online, various attributes of the building such as the ‘Charcoal Grill’ signage are still visible. The slip road from the second screenshot below is still visible on Street View – just drive up the road a bit and you’ll see where it joins the Northern Highway.
Location: Northern Highway just north of Wallan.
Goose hammers his Kawasaki to join the chase.
Location: Twentynine Mile Road. This shot was also used in the sequence where his bike is sabotaged and is riding at speed later on in the film. The ammunition bunker is visible to the right.
He nears the chase and enters the City.
Location: Kororoit Creek Road.
The chase continues.
Location: Cherry Lane. The building to the left is the storage facility that the bongo van comes out of and gets hit.
The next shot was taken further up Cherry lane (at the north-eastern end) than the previous shot.
Location: Cherry Lane, from the north-east end of the road.
A bongo van pulls out of a nearby storage facility. The moving van in the initial shot of it turning onto Cherry Lane was George Miller’s personal transport. The van getting hit by Big Bopper was an empty shell with no engine.
Location: Cherry Lane.
After crashing into the Bongo van, Big Bopper then pulls away in front of the same building.
Location: Cherry Lane.
The couple argue and let their child run across the street outside what is now the Probiotec building. The phone box was a prop that was located across the street near the junction with James Street. This is also where Big Bopper goes right through the caravan.
Location: Cherry Lane.
The Nightrider continues fleeing from the Police.
Location: South-west end of Cherry Lane.
Goose radios Max to tell him they are 100% SNAFU. Max starts to make his way from the aforementioned Turner’s Road by turning right onto Kirks Bridge Road.
Location: Turner’s Road.
The Nightrider thunders on. Note the two mountains on the horizon on the right hand side.
Location: Bacchus Marsh Road.
Max lies in wait. As you can see from the tree to the left at the top of the hill, this is also where the game of chicken occurs.
Location: Bacchus Marsh Road.
The Nightrider loses the game of chicken and is now running scared.
In this shot, the orientation and outline of the You Yangs gives us a clue as to the spot.
Location: Bacchus Marsh Road.
A safety workman tries to flag down the cars, warning them of an incident up ahead. Max manages to brake in time, but the Nightrider goes headfirst into the vehicle pile-up ahead.
Location: Old Melbourne Road.
This Guardian article, part of a serialisation of the book, “Miller and Max” by Luke Buckmaster, gives a little more insight into the ‘rocket car’ stunt and how it was set up (and ultimately how it went wrong).
This link to the NFSA website contains an interesting video by Peter Kamen on the setting up of the ‘rocket car’ stunt, featuring behind the scenes footage of the setup of the stunt itself.
Mad Max Locations Page 