The film, which runs less than four minutes, is largely shot around Wollongong Harbour some time in the 1970s - judging by the fashions.

One of the interesting features of the film is that it's shot from the harbour itself, so it includes a number of shots of the buildings along Cliff Road and further east.

What we see is a lot of one or two-storey buildings running along Cliff Road, with only the occasional taller structure poking up above them.

It also shows buildings and boatsheds in the harbour, which are long gone.

It's a fascinating glimpse into Wollongong's recent past, which was uncovered by West Wollongong's Peter Conran years after the mystery movie was filmed.

Mr Conran said the film came with a second-hand Super 8 film projector he bought years ago. At the time, he didn't load it up to watch it, rather dropping it in a box with his own Super 8 films.

"Recently I bought another projector because the old one died and it was in amongst my other Super 8 films," Mr Conran said.

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"I watched it and thought 'wow this is from the '70s'."

But he has no idea who filmed it or who the people are that appear in the short film.

"It would be nice to be able to return it to whoever the people are, if they are still around or if their family is around," he said.

"I don't really need to keep it - I'll look after it until someone claims it if they know who the people are."

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