Waterfront

1 9 8 4 (Australia)
3 x 120 minute episodes

This six-hour miniseries from Network 10, Australia, was a dramatic and moving portrayal of the events leading up to the 1928 waterside workers’ strike, which closed the ports of Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne and brought incredible hardship to dockworkers’ families.

The strike – triggered by a decision by the Court of Conciliation and Arbitration to reduce the wages of waterside workers – ultimately led to the Government’s downfall.

Following the deaths of two union men and a fellow wharfie, waterside worker Maxey Woodbury (Jack Thompson) emerges as the workers’ spokesman.

Nationalist Party Prime Minister Stanley Bruce (Ralph Cotterill), passes legislation permitting the employment of non-union labour on the wharves, and the shipping bosses respond by hiring newly arrived Italian immigrants desperate for work.

These “scabs” face bitter resentment from the Union and its members, as well as overt racial intimidation and abuse.

While the strike is short-lived in other states, the consequences of the prolonged strike in Melbourne extend into neighbouring industries that are starved of raw materials and export passages, effectively crippling the state of Victoria.

Italian concert pianist and singer Anna Chieri (Greta Scacchi) has fled fascist Italy with her Socialist professor father (John Karlsen) for Australia and finds herself falling for Maxey.

The drama is a splendidly photographed piece, with great attention to period authenticity. It deservedly won the TV Week Logie Award for ‘Best Single Drama or Miniseries’, along with three other awards for ‘Best Lead Actress’ (Greta Scacchi), ‘Best Lead Actor’ (Jack Thompson) and ‘Best Support Actress’ (Noni Hazlehurst).

Maxey Woodbury
Jack Thompson
Anna Chieri
Greta Scacchi
Laughing Les
Warren Mitchell
Maggie
Noni Hazlehurst
Sam Elliott
Ray Barrett
Ernie Donaldson
Chris Haywood
Davo
Jay Mannering
Vera Donaldson
Elin Jenkins
Paddy Ryan
Frank Gallacher
Sheila Ryan
Jan Friedl
Allan Williams
Mark Little
Snowy Williams
Tony Rickards
Flo Williams
Eileen Chapman
Harry Geahry
Edward Hepple
Teresa Callini
Sylvie Fonti
Paolo Callini
Peter Sardi
Giorgio
Joseph Spano
Cross
Simon Chilvers
Inspector Legge
Wyn Roberts
Albert Maple-Brown
David Cameron
Premier Ned Hogan
Bruce Myles
Governor
John Lee
Sir William McPherson
Anthony Hawkins
Commissioner Blamey
Kirk Alexander
Parsons
Robert Meldrum
Purcell
Wilfred Last
Joe Webb
Peter Black
Carruthers
Roy Baldwin
Cameron
Ian Mortimer
McRae
Robert Morgan
Ottavio Jnr
Julio Dalleore
Bianca
Melissa Colosimo
Johnno
Dan Lynch
Maureen
Kashi Ross
Peter
Stephen Tulloch
Eileen
Amanda Ferraro
Ruby
Tracy Harvey
Youngman
Victor Kazan
Vance
William Gluth
Professor Chieri
John Karlsen
Prime Minister Bruce
Ralph Cotterill
Mary
Sally Cooper
Victoria Maple-Brown
Lindy Davies
Mr Chieri
Gennaro Pellone