''Australians'' (also known as ''Michael Willesee's Australians'') is a thirteen part

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

documentary drama series which screened on the

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

in 1988. There was a spin-off book. The series was not the idea of Willesee's but his company, Transmedia was involved.

Episodes

The episodes focused on famous individuals (with one exception covering soldier settlers): *

Mary Mackillop Mary Helen MacKillop RSJ (15 January 1842 – 8 August 1909) was an Australian religious sister who has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church, as St Mary of the Cross. Of Scottish descent, she was born in Melbourne but is best known fo ...

⁣ – starring

Lorna Lesley Lorna Lesley (born 1959, in Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its ...

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

⁣ – starring

Christopher Stollery Christopher Stollery (born 12 August 1965) is an Australian television actor. He graduated from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1987. He is known for his role on '' State Coroner'' as Sgt. Dermot McLeod. He has had a le ...

Lola Montez Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, Countess of Landsfeld (17 February 1821 – 17 January 1861), better known by the stage name Lola Montez (), was an Irish dancer and actress who became famous as a Spanish dancer, courtesan, and mistress of King Ludwig ...

Betty Cuthbert Elizabeth Alyse Cuthbert, (20 April 1938 – 6 August 2017) was an Australian athlete and a four-time Olympic champion. She was nicknamed Australia's "Golden Girl". During her career, she set world records for 60 metres, 100 yards, 200 metres ...

Lottie Lyell Lottie Lyell (born Charlotte Edith Cox, 23 February 1890 – 21 December 1925) was an Australian actress, screenwriter, editor and filmmaker. She is regarded as Australia's first film star, and also contributed to the local industry during the ...

⁣ – starring Odile de Clezio *

Jack Davey John Andrew Davey (8 February 190714 October 1959), known as Jack Davey, was a New Zealand-born singer and pioneering star of Australian radio as a performer, producer, writer and host from the early 1930s into the late 1950s. Later in his caree ...

⁣ – starring

Rhys McConnochie Rhys or Rhŷs is a popular Welsh given name (usually male) that is famous in Welsh history and is also used as a surname. It originates from Deheubarth, an old region of South West Wales, with famous kings such as Rhys ap Tewdwr. It is pronounced ...

Les Darcy James Leslie Darcy (28 October 189524 May 1917) was an Australian boxer. He was a middleweight, but held the Australian Heavyweight Championship title at the same time. Les Darcy was the 2003 Inductee for the Australian National Boxing Hall o ...

⁣ – starring

Peter Phelps Peter Phelps (born 20 September 1960 in Sydney) is an Australian actor, singer and writer. He is notable for his role as Trevor Cole in ''Baywatch''. Phelps is also known for his roles in the internationally successful Australian series '' So ...

* Private John Simpson⁣ – starring Robert Willox *

Clyde Fenton Clyde Cornwall Fenton OBE (16 May 1901 – 28 February 1982) was the Northern Territory's first flying doctor. Unlike the other doctors with the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, Fenton was also his own pilot. Fenton was a self-t ...

Vivian Bullwinkle Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Statham, ( Bullwinkel; 18 December 1915 – 3 July 2000) was an Australian Army nurse during the Second World War. She was the sole surviving nurse of the Bangka Island Massacre, when the Japanese killed 21 of her fe ...

⁣ – starring

Rachel Ward Rachel Claire Ward (born 12 September 1957) is an English-Australian

* John Norton - starring

John Ewart Jon Ewart (06th May 1996) is a British television and film actor. Ewart attended the prestigious National Youth Theatre, Identity School of Acting and has appeared in many successful Television shows. Biography Career Ewart, who was born in M ...

* Gordon Bennett

Ep One – Les Darcy

March 1, 1988. Written by John Upton, directed by Kevin Dobson.

Cast

*Peter Phelps as

Gia Carides Gia Carides (born 7 June 1964) is an Australian actress. She portrayed Liz Holt in ''Strictly Ballroom'', Susy Connor in ''Brilliant Lies'', and Cousin Nikki in ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding.'' Early life Carides was born in Sydney, Australia, t ...

as Winnie O'Sullivan *

Gus Mercurio Augustino Eugenio Mercurio (10 August 19287 December 2010) better known as Gus Mercurio, was an American-born Australian character actor who appeared in radio, television, and film. Early life Mercurio, the eldest child of Vincent A. Mercurio ...

as Tex Rickard *Robin Howering as William Hughes

Reception

''The Age'' called it "a thumbnail sketch".

Ep Two – Private John Simpson

March 8, 1988. Written by Roger McDonald. Directed by

Henri Safran Henri Safran (born 7 October 1932) is a Paris-born director who worked extensively in Australia. He worked in French television, then in Britain, before moving to Australia in 1960 to work with the ABC. He became an Australian citizen in 1963 but ...

Cast

*Robert Willox as John Simpson

Ep Three - Vivian Bullwinkle

March 15, 1988. Written by

Anne Brooksbank Anne Mary Brooksbank (born 1943) is an Australian writer. She has written a number of novels as well as scripts for film and TV. She teaches screenwriting at The Australian Film Television and Radio School. Personal life She was born in Melbour ...

. Directed by Rod Hardy.

Cast

*Rachel Ward as Vivian Bullwinkle *

Barry Quinn Barry Scott Quinn (born 9 May 1979) is an Irish retired footballer. His position was defender. Quinn was signed up by Coventry City in August 1996 as a trainee from Manortown United. He went on to appear seventy-four times for the club. In the ...

as Private Kinsley

Ep Four - Mary MacKillop

March 22, 1988. Written by John Misto. Directed by Mark Callan.

Ep Five - Lotte Lyell

March 29, 1988. Written by Anne Brooksbank. Directed by Ben Lewin

Ep Six - Lola Montez

April 5, 1988. Written by Tony Morphett. Directed by Ian Gilmour.

Cast

Linda Cropper Linda Cropper (born 1 January 1958) is an Australian actress, primarily known for her role as Geraldine Proudman in the TV series ''Offspring'' and as Dame Nellie Melba in the television series '' Melba''. An shortened edited version of the tel ...

as Lola Montez *

Nicholas Eadie Nicholas Eadie (born 1958) is an Australian television, film and theatre actor. Biography Born in Sydney, New South Wales to actor and Australian Broadcasting Commission radio announcer Mervyn Eadie, he attended Waverley College from 1968 to 19 ...

Peter Whitford Peter Whitford (born 1939) is an Australian former radio, theatre, television and film character actor known for numerous roles particularly as wealthy businessmen and members of the aristocracy. Peter Whitford was born in Adelaide, South Austr ...

Danny Adcock Danny Adcock (born 29 June 1948) is an Australian actor, known for his work in television and theatre. His television acting roles include 7 different roles in Crawford Production series ''Matlock Police'' as the killer of Michael Pate's chara ...

as Harry Seekamp

Ep Seven - Clyde Fenton

April 12, 1988. Directed by John Power.

Cast

* Scott Burgess *

Kerry Armstrong Kerry Michelle Armstrong (born 12 September 1958) is an Australian actress and author. She is one of only two actresses to win two Australian Film Institute Awards in the same year, winning Best Actress in a Leading Role for ''Lantana'' and B ...

Bruce Spence Bruce Spence (born 17 September 1945) is a New Zealand–Australian actor. Spence has amassed over 100 film and television credits and has also acted in theatre. Biography Spence won an AFI Award for Best Actor for his role in the 1971 comedy ...

Ep Eight - Jack Davey

April 19, 1987. Written by

Geoffrey Atherden Geoffrey John Atherden , credited also as Geoff Atherden, is an Australian television screenwriter and playwright, especially of comedy. He is best known for creating the sitcom ''Mother and Son''. Early life and education Atherden attended the U ...

. Directed by George Whaley.

Ep Nine - Betty Cuthbert

April 26, 1988. Written by Denise Morgan. Directed by Kathy Mueller.

Ep Ten - Gordon Bennett

May 3, 1988. Written by John Misto.

Ep Eleven - Soldier Settlers

May 10, 1988. Directed by George Ogilvie.

Ep Twelve - John Norton

May 17, 1988.

Ep Thirteen - Errol Flynn

May 24, 1988. Written by John Lonie. Directed by Michael Carson.

Cast

as Errol Flynn *Nell Schofield *Timothy Conigrave *

Terence Donovan (actor) Terence Donovan (born 28 October 1942), also billed as Terence J. Donovan and Terry Donovan, is an English-Australian actor of stage and television, and the father of fellow actor and singer Jason Donovan (from his marriage to actr ...

*Rhys McConnochie *Jeanette Cronin

References

External links

*
Australians
at the Australian Television Information Archive 1988 Australian television series debuts Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming {{Australia-tv-prog-stub

Episodes

Ep One – Les Darcy

Cast

Reception

Ep Two – Private John Simpson

Cast

Ep Three - Vivian Bullwinkle

Cast

Ep Four - Mary MacKillop

Ep Five - Lotte Lyell

Ep Six - Lola Montez

Cast

Ep Seven - Clyde Fenton

Cast

Ep Eight - Jack Davey

Ep Nine - Betty Cuthbert

Ep Ten - Gordon Bennett

Ep Eleven - Soldier Settlers

Ep Twelve - John Norton

Ep Thirteen - Errol Flynn

Cast

See also

References

External links