Osmar White's novel was published in 1979. It was based on research trips White had taken to Queensland and Western Australia. The novel was published in the US, UK and Australia. It was White's tenth book and second novel.[2]
Film rights were bought in 1980 by AAV Productions, a subsidiary of David Syme & Co. The producer was Jill Robb, who announced they would make an eight-part television series.[3] It eventually became a five-hour project.
Robb could not initially get an Australian network interested in the project. She raised finance from Postwork Newsweek Stations in the USA along with the Queensland Film Corporation, the AFC and a consortium of private investors. This enabled her to finance the mini-series which she sold to the Nine Network.[4]
The project was known during filming as The Alcheringa Stone.[5] The shoot took place in 1981 in Queensland, with location work in Brisbane, Chatsworth (south of Mt Isa), and Maryborough.[4]
Reception
The mini-series was considered a ratings disappointment.[6]
The Age said the mini-series had "a lot going for it", saying the script and direction "are above the middlebrow soapie level... it looks good and is full of incident".[7]
References
^Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford University Press, 1996 p235.
^"Diamonds turn up trumps". The Age. 17 February 1979. p. 21.
^"AFC puts up money for spy thriller". The Age. 1 April 1980. p. 2.
^ abCourtis, Brian (15 August 1981). "Vaughn free: the making of a TV saga". The Age. p. 25.
^"Too current for comfort". The Age. 25 August 1981. p. 2.
