For The Term of His Natural Life

1 9 8 2 (Australia)
3 x 120 minute episodes

This $5 million, six-hour Australian miniseries was a television adaptation of Marcus Clarke’s grim novel about the horrors of the convict beginnings in Van Diemen’s Land. First published between 1870 and 1872 as 27 instalments in The Australian Journal, For The Term Of His Natural Life is regarded as the greatest novel to emerge from colonial Australia.

A damning indictment of the cruelties of the transportation system, it is also a stirring adventure story which was made into a silent film in 1927.

29-year-old Scottish-born Sydney actor Colin Friels played his first television role as Richard Devine (alias Rufus Dawes), the hero who is wrongly sentenced to transportation to the penal colony and who endures the most terrible privations.

Ten-year-old Rebe Taylor was Sylvia Vickers, the one person who recognises the goodness in Dawes. Rod Mullinar was Lt. Maurice Frere, the cruel and arrogant soldier who wages a vendetta against Dawes.

English movie star Samantha Eggar was Julia Vickers, mother of the aforementioned child and wife of the commandant of the Hobart Town penal colony, Major Vickers (former Avengers star Patrick Macnee).

Anthony Perkins played the luckless clergyman, Reverend North and Diane Cilento was Lady Ellinor, the hero’s mother.

Although set in Tasmania, most of the series was filmed in South Australia. Major sets constructed included two separate penal colonies – one for Sydney and one for Tasmania; an old English mansion; a London pub; the Victorian goldfields; Sydney Harbour docks; a man-powered train and four period sailing ships.

The series was written and produced by the American husband-and-wife team Wilton Schiller and Patrica Payne (an ex-pat Aussie). The production was made possible under new tax legislation in Australia, where investors were given a 150% write-off and no taxes on the first 50% return. For the Term of His Natural Life had 150 such investors put together by Filmco Ltd.

Rufus Dawes (Richard Devine)
Colin Friels
Reverend James North
Anthony Perkins
Major Vickers
Patrick Macnee
Mrs Julia Vickers
Samantha Eggar
Lady Ellinor Devine
Diane Cilento
Lt. Maurice Frere
Rod Mullinar
John Rex
Robert Coleby
Sarah
Susan Lyons
Sylvia Vickers
Rebe Taylor
Jenny
Wendy Strehlow
Captain Blunt
Barry Lovett
Kirkland
Glynn Nicholas