The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):
'DANNY: A cheerful country boy of 17. Danny's simple, cloistered upbringing has in no way prepared him for the descent into hell that his journey to Melbourne becomes.
'HEATHER: Danny's girl, also 17, also country born and bred. Pleasant, naive, and totally lost in the big smoke.
'MRS. O'BRIAN: Aggressive owner/manager of a suburban hotel. While she is concerned about the events that take place, she is un-involved - more concerned in fact that her business should not be affected.
'ANGELA: Another young refugee from parental authority in the country.
'BETTY WHITE: Harry White's wife: a cheerful, practical woman, as Harry's wife must inevitably be. Quite happy to cope with the noisy extravagant demands of her large family.
'DENISE WHITE / JANICE WHITE: Harry's twin daughters, both 9 years old. Outgoing boisterous children.
'DOCTOR: A crisp efficient man of about 45 or 50.
'OLD MAN: (MR. ALBERTS:) An old digger verging on alcoholism.
'CHILD AT BEACH: Three years old, a golden headed boy.
'BARMAN 1: (WAYNE) Night - time barman at the Hylander Hotel. Aggressive, handy with his fists, and dabbles in minor crime.
'NICKO: Cool crisp minor criminal. Takes care of himself and his appearance. A dab hand at pool.
'POOL-PLAYER 1: Nicko's mate, also a minor crim. Can handle himself in a punch-up.
'MRS. ELSA COOKE: Middle-aged, overly made up. A woman who has never come to terms with her advancing years, nor does she have the income to keep herself in the style to which she would like to be accustomed. Her husky voice has cost her a fortune in gin.
'CHERYL: 30, a prostitute. Not exactly a heart of gold type, but she does take pity on Danny - and then sees how she can con some more money out of him.
'CAROL: What Heather or Angela might have become if they'd been born in an inner city slum, and spent a good deal of time in reform school. 18. Superficially tough.
'BARMAN 2: The day shift equivalent of Wayne.
'NURSE: Just that - 20? Completely able to cope.
'"FATMAN": As his nick-name implies, quite fat. And a little grubby. Any youthful ambitions he might have had have been completely forgotten as he has come to terms with himself and his environment. If the game is "look after Number 1" then he is doing just that.
'BAR EXTRAS: Night one (2) Day two (2)
'POLICE CONSTABLE 1:
'POLICE CONSTABLE 2:
'POLICE CONSTABLE 3'.
