The Timeless Land

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The Timeless Land
TheTimelessLand.jpg
First US edition (publ. Macmillan)
AuthorEleanor Dark
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Timeless Land
GenreHistorical fiction
PublisherMacmillan
Publication date
1941
Media typePrint
Pages499 pp
Preceded byThe Little Company 
Followed byStorm of Time 

The Timeless Land (1941) is a work of historical fiction by Eleanor Dark (1901–1985). The novel The Timeless Land is the first of The Timeless Land trilogy of novels about European settlement and exploration of Australia.

Story and characters[]

The narrative is told from European and Aboriginal points of view. The novel begins with two Aboriginal men watching the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1788. The novel describes the first years of the colony and the diplomacy of captain Arthur Phillip, famine and the effects of outside diseases on the previously unexposed Aboriginal population. The novel ends in a dramatic climax when troops encounter an escaped convict. Dark conducted her historical research at the Mitchell Library in Sydney. Watkin Tench, author of The Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson, is a key character in The Timeless Land. The book has been reprinted in 2002 and novel was on the curriculum for high school students in Australia in the mid-twentieth century.

The subsequent books in The Timeless Land trilogy are Storm of Time (1948) and No Barrier (1953).

Television production[]

The Timeless Land
Genremini-series
Based onNovels by Eleanor Dark
Written byPeter Yeldham
Directed by
  • Rob Stewart
  • Michael Carson
Starring
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes8
Production
ProducerRay Alchin
Running time8 × 1 hour
Release
Original networkABC Television
Original release4 September 1980 (1980-09-04)

A television series was produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, premiering on 4 September 1980. It was written by Peter Yeldham, based on the Eleanor Dark novels, and starred David Gulpilil as Bennelong and English actress Nicola Pagett (star of the British series Upstairs, Downstairs) as Mrs. Mannion. Other actors included Ray Barrett and John Frawley.[1] The music was by Bruce Smeaton.

Production of the series had first been announced in 1976 but was postponed due to the large budget required.[2] International rights to the series were sold to Paramount for $1 million.[3] Shooting took place in Kellyville, an outer suburb of Sydney.[4]

The 8 episodes of The Timeless Land commenced with a movie-length premiere:[5]

  1. A ship with white wings
  2. Unsuitable company
  3. The fabric of liberty
  4. Double standards
  5. Smell of rebellion
  6. A declaration of war
  7. Prisoner at the bar
  8. A new order

In 2006 the Australian Broadcasting Commission released the television series on 3 DVDs, the episodes totalling 424 minutes.[6]

Cast[]

  • Ray Barrett as Governor Bligh
  • Heather Christie as Anne King
  • Peter Collingwood as Governor Phillip
  • Athol Compton as
  • as Finn
  • Peter Cousens as Patrick Mannion
  • John Cousins as Reverend Marsden
  • Michael Craig as
  • Max Cullen as Byrne
  • Patrick Dickson as Mark Harvey
  • Gary Duggan as Chaplain
  • John Faasen as George Crossley
  • John Frawley as Governor King
  • Adam Garnett as Johnny - boy
  • Vincent Gil as Cunningham
  • David Gulpilil as Benelong
  • John Hamblin as Robert Campbell
  • Chris Haywood as Johnny
  • Brian Hinzlewood as Capt Johnston
  • Robert Hughes as Capt. Kemp
  • Vic Hunter as Abbott
  • Johnny Johnstone as Evans
  • Peter Kowitz as Gregory Blaxland
  • Don Mamouney as Doolan
  • Clive Marshall as Lynch
  • Bill McCluskey as Winden
  • Brett Nevill as Convict
  • Kirrily Nolan as Mary Putland
  • Kate Parker as Mrs. Blake
  • Geneviève Picot as Emily
  • Angela Punch McGregor as Ellen
  • Michael K. Ross as Governor's Aide
  • Robin Stewart as John Macarthur
  • Charlie Strachan as Driver
  • Noel Trevarthen as Collins
  • Anna Volska as Sarah
  • Nicola Pagett as Mrs. Mannion
  • Craig Walker as Gov. MacArthur's doorman

Notes and references[]

  1. ^ Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p241
  2. ^ "Government a hindrance: ABC head". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 23 November 1978. p. 3. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  3. ^ "ABC show sold for $lm". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 30 April 1980. p. 3. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  4. ^ "REBELLION AND RUM!". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 14 May 1980. p. 242 Supplement: TV Weekly. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  5. ^ "The Timeless Land". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 3 September 1980. p. 6 Supplement: Your TV Magazine. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  6. ^ Dark, Eleanor, 1901–1985. Timeless land; Alchin, Ray. (Producer); Stewart, Rob. (Director); Carson, Michael. (Director); Yeldham, Peter. (Writer of accompanying material); Australian Broadcasting Commission (2006), The timeless land the early days of British settlement in Australia, Australian Broadcasting Corporation : Roadshow Entertainment [distributor], retrieved 9 March 2015CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

See also[]

References[]

  • The Timeless Land, Eleanor Dark. Introduction by Barbara Brooks and Humphrey McQueen. Pymble, NSW. HarperCollins Publishers Australia. 2002. ISBN 0-207-19877-2

External links[]

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