The National Film and Sound Archive has used this time to compile a list of 50 pieces of historical footage that will cheer you up.

"We were inspired by the idea of giving people interesting, fun things to explore while they were at home," NFSA online producer Beth Taylor said.

"We wanted to do our own to help cheer Australians up in these challenging times, and showcase the fact that the NFSA is always open online, 24/7.

"We have hundreds of hours of content on our website and social media channels, so choosing 50 things was a quite a challenge.

"I watched and listened to hundreds of items from our collection and used Marie Kondo's spark joy method to narrow down the list.

"It was hard to narrow it down."

This compilation by Taylor includes adorable videos of animals and children, wickedly funny comedy and inspiring pieces of Australia's history.

"I thought about the things that make people happy: music, dance, laughter, animals, fashion, food, sport, art and of course film and sound," she said.

"[These are] the things that remind us of our collective memories and resilience."

Marvellous Melbourne (1910): "With Melbourne on everyone's minds at the moment .. I love this step back in time."

Baby Barber (1938): "He's three years old but that doesn't stop him shaving a customer. Watch out for his sneeze at the end."

Dame Edna dabbles in numerology (1975): "It's just totally ridiculous and delightful."

Glad Bag Fashion Show (1982): "Jeanne Little is a comic genius and these fashions made of rubbish bags still hold up today."

Art + Soul: Dreams and Nightmares - Emily Kame Kngwarreye (2009): "The life and creativity of Emily Kame Kngwarreye is so inspiring."

Snow ... Down Under: Snow Wombat: Is there anything cuter than this?

Canberra Dog Fanciers Parade Their Pets (1950): This includes children being delighted by a basket full of puppies. Too cute.

Annette Kellerman's underwater ballet (1939): Be mesmerised by footage of legendary Australian dancer and vaudeville performer Annette Kellerman performing underwater ballet in crystal clear water.

Ingenious Machines Produce Biscuits By The Million (1951): What is more satisfying than an Iced Vovo? Perhaps this soothing footage of biscuits being mass-produced in this hypnotic video.

Babakiueria: 'This Strange And Fascinating People' (1986): Enjoy a snippet of Babakiueria - a still-relevant film that drew attention to the dehumanisation of First-Nations Australians with sharp wit.

Joan Crawford (1933): See the extraordinary photograph of the golden-age Hollywood star from the NFSA collection.

Tiny the Terrier Collects the Mail in Taree (1988): Witness an adorable and intelligent dog collect and deliver the mail to its elderly owner.

To see this footage and much more go to nfsa.gov.au/latest/50-delightful-surprises-nfsa-collection.

The National Film and Sound Archive will reopen on August 1.

There will be a new free and interactive exhibition called "Hive", which delves into secrets and surprises of the NFSA collection.

Tickets can be booked via nfsa.gov.au/events.