I'm amazed at how many Australians have not heard of - or perhaps forgotten - some of the most quintessential Australian movies - or have I become more Australian than the quintessential Australian?
"The Shiralee", based on D'Arcy Niland's book by the same name, is one such movie. It's the story of the itinerant rural worker Macauley - sometimes described as a 'swagman' or 'swaggie' - who suddenly finds himself taking responsibility for his child. Having returned from 'walkabout', he finds his wife entwined in the arms of another, and so he takes his four-year-old daughter, Buster, with him. The child is the 'shiralee', an Aboriginal word meaning 'burden'. In their time together, father and daughter explore new depths of understanding and bonding. The barren landscapes of the outback are central to the swagman's love for his country and provide a backdrop to the richness of his developing relationship with Buster.
Of course, there's nothing like curling up with D'Arcy Niland's book ...
... but if you're more visually than cerebrally inclined, you'll find both the 1957 movie version with Peter Finch and the 1987 remake with Bryan Brown faithful screen adaptations of this wonderful book.
The original black-and-white movie from 1957 starring Peter Finch
D'Arcy Niland wrote another masterpiece, "Dead Men Running", which was made into a TV mini series in 1971. I wasn't in Australia then and so I missed it. If you can find it on YouTube or on DVD, please let me know.
