Cirrus@Austlit

'To take you down to the sea in ships, to go tramping over a thousand hills, to huddle against a man-made cyclone in the jungle scrub of the Lamington Plateau, to go film-making with Charles and Elsa Chauvel – that’s the object of this book.

'In these pages you will share Elsa’s dramatic years beside her film-producer husband, helping to pioneer a struggling motion picture industry. You will sail with them to lonely Pitcairn Island, where they face hazardous seas to bring back, for the first time, film footage of the hiding place of the Bounty mutineers. You will travel with the dedicated, adventure-loving pair to film in the rugged interior of the Northern Territory. You will listen to the thunder of hooves as they film the unforgettable, world-acclaimed charge of Forty Thousand Horsemen, and you will read of the stars discovered and created by Charles Chauvel: Errol Flynn, Mary Maguire, Chips Rafferty, Peter Finch, Michael Pate, Betty Bryant, Tudawali and Ngarla Kunoth of Jedda fame.'

Source: Publisher's blurb (Australian Scholarly Publishing ed.)

A television documentary series produced and narrated by Charles and Elsa Chauvel, Walkabout follows their travels throughout Australia, largely the outback regions.

The thirteen episodes were 1. Sydney; 2. The Great Divide; 3. Outposts; 4. The Ghan; 5. Droving; 6. Coober Pedy; 7. Rum Jungle; 8. Adelaide River; 9. Homesteads; 10. Picnic Races; 11. Buffalo; 12. Alexandria Downs; and 13. The Last Walkabout.

'On a lonely cattle station in the Northern Territory, a newly born Aboriginal baby is adopted by a white woman in place of her own child who has died. The child is raised as a white child and forbidden any contact with the Aborigines on the station. Years later, Jedda is drawn by the mysteries of the Aboriginal people but restrained by her upbringing. Eventually she is fascinated by a full-blood Aboriginal, Marbuck, who arrives at the station seeking work and is drawn to his campfire by his song. He takes her away as his captive and returns to his tribal lands, but he is rejected by his tribe for having broken their marriage taboos. Pursued by the men from Jedda's station and haunted by the death wish of his own tribe, Marbuck is driven insane and finally falls, with Jedda, over a cliff.'

(Synopsis from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School website, http://library.aftrs.edu.au)

'Filmed against the lush, tropical background of the Lamington Plateau it tells the story of an Australia many have never seen ... of Australians heard about but never met. This is the story of pioneers with adventure in their blood and their incessant battle against nature.

'Matthew O'Riordan had five sons–Shane, Barney, Luke, Terry and Mickey. The sons grew up. The farm in the valley is too small to hold them, so Matthew calls a conference and suggests that the boys take up land is Quensland, [sic] where there is unlimited opportunity and plenty of land.

'Matthew informs them of the hardships they will have to endure but fighting is a thing they understand, so they set off.

'After the decision is made the film goes on to describe their battle against what appears to be overwhelming odds. It depicts their passions, their dreams, their hopes and finally their victory.'

Source:

'Odeon', Goulburn Evening Post, 20 February 1950, p.3.

Australia's only fully war-time feature, The Rats of Tobruk focuses on three friends who are cattle droving in the outback just before the outbreak of World War II. By 1941, restless Bluey Donkin, easy-going Milo Trent, and Shakespeare-quoting Englishman Peter Linton have decided to join the Australian Imperial Forces (A.I.F.) and later find themselves in North Africa fighting Rommel's army.

After early successes against the Italian army, the Australian 9th Division finds itself besieged in Tobruk. When not fighting, the men have comic encounters with a barber, while Peter falls for a nurse, Sister Mary, after being wounded. The other two men are also later wounded, but it is Peter who is eventually killed just before the others are able to repel the enemy. Bluey and Milo are then later transferred to New Guinea, where Bluey is injured and Milo killed by a sniper. Bluey manages to kill the sniper.

A romance subplot occurs between Bluey (who prior to leaving Australia was not prepared to settle down with any woman) and the daughter of a squatter, Kate, who is in love with him. When Bluey finally returns home, he and Kate are united.

'It is not devoted entirely to a western setting, but tells the story of how a young girl who has been finishing her education on the Continent is recalled to the station home of her father in an outback Australian settlement, and how her antagonism towards his foreman ultimately develops into love.'

Source:

'Parkside Theatre', Queensland Times, 28 April 1937, p.10.