Originally a six-part drama from Australia’s ABC, this show, set in the western suburbs of Sydney, was a winner with television audiences and so was developed into a series.
Certain Women told the story of six female members of the Stone/Lucas family – Dolly Lucas (Queenie Ashton), her two daughters, feminist lawyer Frieda Lucas (June Salter) and teacher Jane Stone (Joan Bruce), and Jane’s daughters Helen (Jenny Lee), Marjorie (Judy Morris, then Diane Craig), and Gillian (Elisabeth Crosby initially and then Christine Amor).
The link that held the women of this family together was not simply one of blood relations but also of strongly held political and philosophical views, and a sense of social justice, feminism, and pacifism.
Ironically, all the women were attracted to men with right-wing views or a military background. The conflict this created clearly gave the writers an opportunity to reflect the impact of contemporary social events.
The series ultimately degenerated into a series of harangues on drugs, pacifism, the status of women, violence in law enforcement and other such subjects.
Bruce Spence co-starred as Big Julie, the young doctor with whom Helen Stone shared a flat. Although the relationship was platonic, it horrified the conventional members of the Stone family.
When Australian television converted to colour in 1975, the ABC destroyed the tapes of many of its black-and-white drama shows which are now lost forever. This included the mini-series of Certain Women and the first 80 episodes of the serial.
Dolly Lucas Queenie Ashton Freida Lucas June Salter Jane Stone
Joan Bruce Helen Stone
Jenny Lee Marjorie Faber
Judy Morris (1)
Diane Craig (2) Gillian Stone
Elizabeth Crosby (1)
Christine Amor (2) Horrie
Vincent Ball Norm Coburn
Don Barker Michelle Stone
Vynka Lee-Steere Caroline Stone
Joanne Samuel Beth Pearson
Carmen Duncan Michael Fraser
Ivar Kants Kenneth Price
Wallace Eaton Barry Gardiner
Brian Wenzel Fred Faber
Benjamin Craig Carl Faber
Peter Sumner Peter Clayton
Shane Porteous Christine Clayton
Kris McQuade Duncan
Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell Julius (‘Big Julie’)
Bruce Spence Arthur Baxter
John Dease
