Against the Wind (TV series)

Against the Wind
Format	Drama, Historical miniseries
Starring	Mary Larkin Jon English
Country of origin	Australia
No. of episodes	13
Production
Running time	50 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Seven Network
Original run	12 September 1978 – 31 October 1978

Against the Wind was a 1978 Australian television mini-series. It is a historical drama portraying both the British rule of Ireland, and the development of New South Wales and Australia. The series was filmed at Old Sydney Town (near Sydney), and at Belgrave Heights, Warrandyte, Colac and Geelong & Emu Bottom.

The producers were Bronwyn Binns, Ian Jones and Henry Crawford.

The directors were George T. Miller and Simon Wincer.

The scriptwriters were Bronwyn Binns, Ian Jones, Peter Kinlock, Tony Morphett, Paul Davies and Cliff Green.

Jon English won the Logie Award in 1979 for "Best new talent" for his role in the miniseries as "Jonathan Garrett".

The complete series is now available on DVD in Australia, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands in PAL format.

Cast

• Mary Larkin — as "Mary Mulvane / Mary Garrett"
• Jon English — as "Jonathan Garrett"
• Kerry McGuire — as "Polly McNamara"
• Frank Gallacher — as "Will Price"
• Gerard Kennedy — as "Dinny O'Byrne"
• Hu Price — as "Jonas Pike"
• Warwick Sims — as "Ensign Greville"
• Lynn Rainbow — as "Louisa Wiltshire"
• Frederick Parslow — as "Captain Wiltshire"
• Bryan Brown — as "Michael Connor"
• Rod Mullinar
• Chris Haywood
• Sean Scully
• Frank Thring
• Wallace Eaton
• Vincent Ball
• John Stanton

Plot

Set in Australia's colonial era (1798–1812), the series is about Englishman, Jonathan Garrett, and his life as a transported convict, in the colony of New South Wales. Mary Mulvane, an 18 year old Irish girl, is transported to New South Wales for a term of seven years after attempting to take back her family's milk cow which had been seized by the British "in lieu of tithes" to the local proctor. She endures the trial of a convict sea journey to New South Wales and years of service as a convict before her emancipation and life as a free citizen.

Episode titles

1. The Seeds of Fire
2. The Wild Geese
3. A Question of Guilt
4. The Flogging Parson
5. An Agreement Between Officers and Others
6. A House on the Hill
7. The Tree of Liberty
8. When Kings Go Forth to Battle
9. The Farmer's Friend
10. A Matter of Life and Death
11. The Spirit of Enterprise
12. The Whip Hand
13. The Windfall Summer

Episodes 1, 8, and 13 were published in Against The Wind by Bronwyn Binns & Ian Jones . Australian Theatre Workshop Series (#19). Richmond, Victoria: Heinemann Educational Australia Pty Ltd., 1978. ISBN 0-85859-196-0.

References

• "The Dictionary of Performing Arts in Australia — Theatre . Film . Radio . Television — Volume 1" — Ann Atkinson, Linsay Knight, Margaret McPhee — Allen & Unwin Pty. Ltd., 1996
• "The Australian Film and Television Companion" — compiled by Tony Harrison — Simon & Schuster Australia, 1994

External links

• Against the Wind at the Internet Movie Database
• Against the Wind at the National Film and Sound Archive