''Jonah'' is an Australian television drama series which aired for 20 episodes starting from 15 October 1962 on the

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

. Produced during an era when commercial television in Australia produced few dramatic series, ''Jonah'' was a period drama, and was inspired by the success of ABC's period drama mini-series like '' Stormy Petrel''. The episodes still exist.

Premise

The National Film and Sound Archive describes the series as a "historical drama series about Jonah Locke, a merchant trader in the early Australian colony". Jonah lived in Sydney between 1840 and 1850. He would encounter historical figures.

Regular cast

* Brian James as Jonah Locke *Hilary Bamberger as Ann Parry, Jonah's housekeeper *Neil Fitzpatrick as Brett Hamilton, Jonah's nephew

Guest stars

Judith Arthy Judith Anne Arthy (born 12 November 1940 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) is an Australian actress, now retired, and writer. Judith Arthy began her theatrical career in a production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible with the Brisbane Repertory Th ...

as Rosa *Denis Doonan as Captain Westcote *John Faasen as Sir John Franklin *Henry Gilbert as The Reverend Dr. *

Ron Haddrick Ronald Norman Haddrick (9 April 1929 – 11 February 2020) was an Australian actor, cricketer, narrator and presenter. In 2012, he received the Actors Equity Lifetime Achievement Award for his long and distinguished career in media, spanning s ...

as Governor *Robert McPhee as Monahan *

Moya O'Sullivan Moya O'Sullivan Macarthur (8 June 1926 – 16 January 2018) was an Australian-born actress who worked both locally and briefly in the United Kingdom. She was best known for her long-running role as the popular character Marlene Kratz in the soap ...

as Pompy *Lionel Pearcey as Ed Curr *Donald Philps as Captain Duff *

Gwen Plumb Gwendoline Jean Plumb AM BEM (2 August 1912 – 5 June 2002), was an Australian performer of international appeal, actress and comedian active in literally every form of the art genre, (except circus) including revue, pantomime, vaudeville, in ...

as Lady Jane Franklin *Chris Christensen as Black Henry O'Brien *Richard Davies as Mathew Crawford *Claire Dunn as The Maid *Brett Hamilton as Neil Fitzpatrick * Brigid Lenihan as Kate Winslow *

Muriel Steinbeck Muriel Myee Steinbeck (21 July 1913 – 20 July 1982) was an Australian actress who worked extensively in radio, theatre, television and film. She is best known for her performance as the wife of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in '' Smithy'' (1946) ...

Caroline Chisolm Caroline Chisholm (born Caroline Jones; 30 May 1808 – 25 March 1877) was a 19th-century English humanitarian known mostly for her support of immigrant female and family welfare in Australia. She is commemorated on 16 May in the calendar of s ...

Noeline Brown Noeline Mabel Brown (born 3 October 1938), credited also as Noelene Brown, is an Australian actress and comedian. She has appeared in numerous films, television shows, theatrical productions and radio programs dating back to 1959. Life and c ...

as Dorothea Styles

Background

In March 1962 it was announced ATN would make the series with Michael Plant to be writer and story editor, Harry Dearth to produce and David Cahill to direct. By July the lead actors had been cast. It was shot at Artransa Park Studios. Michael Plant was the writer and script editor. The episode cost around £3,500 each. They sold to the Australian networks for £1,500 an episode and then to Britain for £1,000 an episode. There were disputes with Actors Equity over how much the actors should be paid.

Reception

One review called it "splendid". The ''Women's Weekly'' called it "fast, action packed entertainment".

Select episodes

*Ep 1 – "No Time for Despair" (w. Michael Plant) – gold is discovered in 1839 – guest starring Hans Farkash as Count Strzelecki,

Governor Gipps Sir George Gipps (23 December 1790 – 28 February 1847) was the Governor of the British colony of New South Wales for eight years, between 1838 and 1846. His governorship oversaw a tumultuous period where the rights to land were bitterly conte ...

, Al Thomas, and

Owen Weingott Owen Ash Weingott (21 June 1921 – 12 October 2002) was an Australian actor, director and drama teacher. Although primarily working in theatre, he appeared on radio and television in serials and made for television films and voice overs. Weingo ...

as Stone Polonski *Ep 2 – "A Tale of Two Bees" – the story of

Benjamin Boyd Benjamin Boyd (21 August 180115 October 1851) was a Scottish entrepreneur who became a major shipowner, banker, grazier, politician and slaver, exploiting South Sea Islander labour in the British colony of New South Wales. Boyd became one ...

who dreamed of building his own city – guest starring Colin Croft, Brigid Lenihan, John Faasen as

Sir John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. After serving in wars against Napoleonic France and the United States, he led two expeditions into the Canadian Arctic and through t ...

as Lady Jane Franklin *"A Ring Around a Rosa" – story of a young immigrant girl – guest star

, Judith Artha as Rosa *"The Wrong Hands" – the story of Ludwig Leichardt – guest star Clement McCallin, Joe McCormick, Philip Ross *"Freedom for Port Phillip" – about John Dunmore Lang – guest star Henry Gilbert, John Llewellyn, Lionel Pearcey, Robert McPhee *"A Nest of Hornets" – about clash with Chinese migrants at Lambing Flat – guest star Allan Tobin as Lin Fong, Derek Barnes as Captain Zouch *"The Hashemy" – about the ship The Hashemy *"The Marquis of Mullambimbee" – the clash between

William Wentworth William Charles Wentworth (August 179020 March 1872) was an Australian pastoralist, explorer, newspaper editor, lawyer, politician and author, who became one of the wealthiest and most powerful figures of early colonial New South Wales. Throug ...

and

Henry Parkes Sir Henry Parkes, (27 May 1815 – 27 April 1896) was a colonial Australian politician and longest non-consecutive Premier of the Colony of New South Wales, the present-day state of New South Wales in the Commonwealth of Australia. He has ...

– with James Condon, Keith Buckley, Bill Lewis *"Black Henry" – about a man who helped fix unemployment – with Brigid Lenihan, Chris Christensen, Richard Davies, Claire Dunn *"The Railroader" – Miles Morgan builds a railway in the Hunter Valley – with Wynn Roberts as Morgan and Vaughan Tracey as Jamey *"The Coal Mutiny" – a man leads a charge against the monopoly given to the

Australian Agricultural Company The Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) () is a public-listed Australian company that, as at 2018, owned and operated feedlots and farms covering around of land in Queensland and the Northern Territory, roughly one percent of Australia's la ...

– guest starring Tom Farley as James Brown, Moray Powell as Commodore Styles,

as Dorothea Styles *"Where is Adelaide?" – story of the planning of the city of Adelaide with Donald Phillips (as Captain Duff), John Barnard (as

William Light William Light (27 April 1786 – 6 October 1839), also known as Colonel Light, was a British- Malayan naval and army officer. He was the first Surveyor-General of the new British Province of South Australia, known for choosing the site of ...

), John Faasen (as Horton Depenn) *"The Seekers" – Puritans arrive in Australia on their way to New Zealand – guest starring Tanya Haylesworth as Purity Tunstall, Alan Herbert as John Tunstall *"The Damned Darlinghurst" – Jonah spends time in Darlinghurst Prison on a matter of principle – guest starring Al Thomas as Colonel Keck, Lyndall Barbour as Fairy Mortimer *"The Treaty of South Island" – the story of the formation of New Zealand – guest starring Harry Willis as a Maori chief

Te Rauparaha Te Rauparaha (c.1768 – 27 November 1849) was a Māori rangatira (chief) and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars, receiving the nickname "the Napoleon of the South". He was influential in the origina ...

, James Condon ( William Wentworthh), Ron Haddrick (

) *"A Plague on Both Your Houses" – a romance between an emancipist's daughter and the son of an aristocratic gentleman – with Geoffrey King, Julianna Allan, Alexander Archdale, John Gregg *"Ship of Fame" – with Denis Doonan (Captain Westcote),

(Pompy), Donald Philps (Captain Duff) *"This Piece of Earth" *"The Man from Myall Creek" – last episode

References

External links

*
''Jonah''
at National Film and Sound Archive {{Ken Hannam Australian drama television series 1962 Australian television series debuts 1963 Australian television series endings Black-and-white Australian television shows English-language television shows Seven Network original programming Period television series Television shows set in colonial Australia