The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) of Australia has today announced it has acquired five rare, Australian-designed pinball machines, one of which is the first licensed Star Wars pinball machine in the world.
The machines were produced by Newcastle, New South Wales-based amusement company A. Hankin & Company between 1978 and 1980, and are reportedly the only Australian-designed machines from the golden age of pinball.
While the majority of the machines are inspired by distinctly Australian topics (ranging from the FJ Holden, cricketing icon Dennis Lillee, and surfing through a shiver of great white sharks), Hankin’s The Empire Strikes Back is notable for its status as the world’s first licensed Star Wars machine.
“The concept of making a pinball machine like The Empire Strikes Back was not common at that stage,” explained A. Hankin & Company manager David Hankin in the NFSA’s mini-documentary outlining the story behind the addition of these pinball machines to its collection.
The company approached George Lucas, asking if he would be interested in allowing the company to build a Star Wars-themed machine.
