IT was the movie that made Mansfield a household name, and on March 20 it was the 38th anniversary of The Man From Snowy River premiere here in town.

Unveiled to much local fanfare at the Mansfield Cinema, now the site of the Mansfield Foodworks complex, the movie grossed about $17.2 million at the Australian box office, equivalent to more than $62m in 2020.

It was the third highest-grossing Australian film between 1964 and 2009, second only to Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Babe (1992), and has long been credited as putting Mansfield on the map.

Starring a host of local riders and crew, the movie went on to spawn a sequel in the late 1980s with the home of the main character, Craig’s Hut, now one of Australia’s most recognised tourist destinations.

According to the book ‘Film Induced Tourism’, by Sue Beeton, the original Snowy River saw a 10 fold increase in horse related tourism operators in the region, with as many as 30 operators at its peak.

Although he is now better known for his role as a Frank Sinatra crooner, the man himself Tom Burlinson has been quoted as saying the movie still continues to impact his career almost four decades later.

"The Man from Snowy River is why some people come to my shows," he said.

"They love it and want me to sign their DVD, or an old photograph from way back when the movie was first released.

"It was a fantastic career opportunity as a young actor, and it was hugely successful, much more than we ever imagined when we were making it.

Up until recently, Tom still returned to the Mansfield Shire as part of an annual ‘Snowy River’ trail ride with the Lovick family, and was also part of the Mountain Cattlemen’s Association of Victoria Get Together at Buttercup.

"I don't get on a horse all that often, but I did find during my preparation with that movie that I had a natural ability with horses and on horseback," Tom said.

"I'm not as good a rider as I was made to look in that film, but I really do enjoy it."