AustLit

A group of escaped convicts seize Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour. The island has working coast artillery guns on it, which the convicts use to threaten Sydney until their demands are met. The authorities are unaware, however, that the convicts cannot access the shells, which are locked away in the fort.

Based on the real incidents that occurred on the Ballarat goldfields in Victoria during the early to mid 1850s, Eureka Stockade follows Peter Lalor, a boisterous prospector who leads a rebellion against the colonial authorities over excessive licences and restrictions. At first, the prospectors intend to use random mob violence, but Lalor organises the group into a strong, united front. The climax sees them take on the troops under the flag of the Southern Cross.

Lalor is portrayed in this version as a man of doubts and principles rather than as the charismatic rebel leader traditionally associated with the legend.

Set in Australia near the beginning of the Second World War, a time when much of the country was in fear of an impending Japanese invasion. This fear caused many Northern Territory inhabitants to begin evacuating, in order to escape being taken prisoner, and to burn everything in a 'scorched earth' policy, in order to leave the invading forces without resources. Rather than kill all their cattle, a disparate group decides to drive them overland halfway across the continent.

The Overlanders is a story that emphasises the Australian spirit in a time of great uncertainty. It recreates the hazards of an epic cattle drive and carefully assembles the mannerisms, vocabulary, and attitudes that characterise the Australian bushman. The story also reinforces the resilience and strength of women, particularly through the character of Mary Parsons. In this respect, it carries on the tradition of the bush heroine established in Australian films of the twenties and thirties.

'This is the eventful story of the making of "The Overlanders" as told recently by director Harry Watt at the Ealing Studios, London, to company executives and studio personnel who welcomed him home from Australia. ' Michael Balcon, head of Ealing Studies production, claims that the outdoor scenery and cattle action sequences arc comparable with the best ever taken anywhere in the world.'

Source: Article blurb.