It is to our complete national shame that one of the greatest explorers of the 20th Century (some would say THE greatest) is virtually completely overlooked by Australian historians.

Now, thanks to author, journalist and documentary filmmaker, Simon Nasht, the fascinating life of Sir George Hubert Wilkins is revisted in vision and print.

A pioneering cinematographer, war photographer, correspondent and even a spy, Adelaide-born, George Hubert Wilkins executed daring flights, treks and journeys that brought acclaim and envy from his peers. He was knighted in June 1928 after his astounding flight across the Arctic with Carl Ben Eielson.

In tandem with the critically acclaimed book, The Last Explorer, DV1 have released the documentary "Voyage of the Nautilus", documenting Wilkins' courageous, but ultimately unsuccessful, journey to the North Pole in a derelict WW1 submarine.

The tale is complex, convoluted and tainted by commercial pressure from the mighty Hearst media empire. But Wilkins, ever a man of his word, pushed on against frightening odds in an attempt to make good his promise to the ruthless magnate.

When the inevitable breakdowns thwarted his attempt on the Pole, Wilkins persisted in diving beneath the ice to, at least, prove the worth of his theory - that being the use of submarines in arctic research.

The failure almost scuttled Wilkins entirely. It left him penniless and his previously unblemished reputation severely dented. Ever modest and self-effacing, Wilkins continued his work, but never recaptured his heroic status and died in 1958 at the age of 70.

This painstakingly researched documentary goes some way restoring Wilkins to the stature he deserves.