In this newsletter we thought we would include a selection of DVD's and Books to celebrate Australia Day.

We have a large range of Australiana titles that we think you will find interesting, with something for the whole family.

This is just a very small selection of what we have available in stock.

The crittically-acclaimed Australian mini-series starring Bryan Brown and Rebecca Smart, presented in its original uncut tV format of two 90-minute episodes.

Returning home from the outback, Macauley (Bryan Brown) finds his wife in bed with another man. In the heat of the moment he vents his anger by taking custody of their young daughter Buster (Rebecca Smart) and heads for the backblocks of South Australia.

Macauley the loner, the streetfighter with blood on his knucles, a chip on his shoulder and anger in his heart, finds himself stuck with a four-year-old daughter in tow.

Mac struggles with his ill-chosen role of father and mother to the child which is his, but whom he does not know. His resentment grows as Buster intrudes into the world Macauley forged for himself alone.

For 'Shiralee' means burden. But his daughter is a burden which Macauley must come to embrace.

The Shiralee - TV Mini Series - DVD

An exquistely beautiful film shot on location amidst the vast expanse and unique scenery of Australia. At the turn of the century Australia was still a very young country in a land as old as time.

Few had ventured far from the growing cities and towns of the coast, into that vast heart of Australia - the great Outback.

We of the Never Never, adapted from an Australian classic novel, tells of Jeannie (Angela Punch-McGregor) and Aeneas Gunn (Arthur Dignam), a man and his bride who trek to a place where wives are seldom seen, and even less accepted. Enduring hardships and battling against sexist and racial prejudice of the Australian outback enviroment this extraordinary woman strives to win the friendship and respect of those about her.

We of the Never Never - DVD

English girl Philadelphia Gordon (Sigrid Thorton) life is turned upside down when she is shipwrecked and orphaned off the coast of Victoria in 1890.

She spends most of her life around Echuca, on the Murray River and invests some of her inheritance in a paddle wheeled riverboat. Her life is forever changed when she meets frontier paddleboat captain Brenton Edwards, a cavalier river-man.

It is the beginning for Philadelphia of a remarkable ten years in her life. Her investment in the riverboat is, without her knowing it, the first step towards a turbulent marriage to a riverboat man and, indeed, to the boats who ply their great trade along the mighty, unpredictable and perilous river.

ALL THE RIVERS RUN 2 - TV MOVIE

With all the romance adventure and even more intrigue than its internationally successful predecessor All The Rivers Run II picks up the story of Delie and Brenton Edwards at the turn of the century at a moment when bad times have struck the once thriving riverboat trade.

All the Rivers Run 1 & 2 - DVD Box Set

Paddy Doolan is a man who refuses to accept change. In a new century where the motor car is changing the way things are done, the stubborn Irishman, the last of the draught-horse teamsters, continues to haul timber the old way.

His recalitrance has estranged him from his wife Jenny and sons Will and Michael. But Michael continues to love his father and goes in search of him.

Michael's odyssey will involve a part-time horse thief and a stern station owner, and finally lead to an understanding and newfound respect for his father, the man they call "The Irishman".

Produced by Anthony Buckley and Directed by Donald Crombie, The Irishman Co-stars Bryan Brown, Tony Barry and Gerard Kennedy. It is regarded as one of Australian Cinema's most overlooked classics.


The Irishman - DVD

The challenge was not only to create a nation but to develop an enduring Australian democracy.

A remarkable investigation into the process that shaped 'the Great Southern Land' over a century ago, Federation is the award winning three part documentary series, detailing Australia's rocky road to nationhood, vividly bringing to life the history making events, personalities and experiences that culminated in the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901.

THE LAND: The seven disparate States sort out their differences and meet to write a constitution, which is spectacularly dumped because it is considered undemocratic. So begins the story and the sundry frustrations of the first attempt at forming a nation.

THE PEOPLE: The fear of change and fight for equality - the opinion makers, the winners and losers consider and debate the many elements needed to create an Australian democracy.

THE NATION: After the second attempt in 1897, Australia was close to creating a federation of all states. But there was much work ahead of the people to strike deals and nut out a constitution that would best represent the nation. This captivating two disc set, narrated by John Doyle and featuring the voice of Leo McKern as Sir Henry Parkes, is not only a treat for history buffs, but an intrinsically well crafted document tracing the footsteps and measuring the trials and tribulations of our great nation.

Federation - DVD

High adventure unfolds in the vast beauty of Australia when a poor "bush boy" finds true freedom.

A wealthy ranch owner's gift of a wild pony means young Scotty can finally ride the seven miles to and from school; and he and the horse become fast friends. But the pony gets away and is sheltered as unclaimed by a young girl who cannot walk. The treasured pony means freedom to both children; but can only belong to one in a gripping story of hope against the odds.

Ride a Wild Pony - Region 1 (NTSC) DVD

Welcome to 12 1/2 Plymouth Street, In Sydney's Surry Hills. This is the home of the Aussie Irish Catholic family, The Darcys as lovingly told by Award-winning author Ruth Park.

In 'The Harp in the South' and 'Poor Man's Orange', Park tells of the trials and tribulations of growing up in a Sydney slum in the years immediately following the Second World War.

A story that centres on the bittersweet first and last loves of Roie, who becomes a woman too quickly living among the tenement houses, razor gangs, brothels and sly-grog shops of inner city Surry Hills.

The Darcy family's story is continued on in 'Poor Man's Orange'.

The Harp in the South - DVDs

Set in 1943, The Overlanders is a classic Australian outback survival story based on true events, starring legendary Aussie screen icon 'Chips' Rafferty as Dan McAlpine.

With Australia facing invasion from Japanese forces during WWII, man of the land and master drover Dan McAlpine sets out to preserve his very livelihood and the fate of more than a thousand head of cattle by trekking them across an alternate route over three thousand kilometres.

Facing an arduous and desolate landscape, from the dry extremes of the Northern Territory to the dense pastures north of Brisbane, McAlpine is joined by a dedicated yet disparate band of horsemen who set about bringing their considerable charge in for head count.

An adventure of the grandest scale, produced by the famed Ealing Studios and also featuring John Nugent Hayward and Daphne Campbell, The Overlanders captures a uniquely Australian story of hardship and survival, celebrating a remarkable historical achievement.

The Overlanders (1946) - DVD

Jamie Carr (Christopher Pate) is a young man growing up in Bundaberg, Northern Queensland during the closing years of World War 1.

Jamie who is in his final year of high school, was brought up by his grandmother (Geraldine Fitzgerald). Grandma Carr is known and loved by all in the town, and does her best to help Jamie through the emotional turmoil of adolescence.

The Mango Tree - DVD

Life in the saddle - from wild brumbies of the high country to trusty stock horses of the outback and from drovers to dressage riders - a collection of heart-warming tales for horse-lovers.

Great Australian Horse Stories brings to life the exploits--funny, poignant and sometimes dramatic--of horses from all over the nation. Outback legends, loyal carthorses, spectacular high jumpers and trusty stock horses. Among them animals that have defied the odds to win--or simply to live.

Just as special are the people who make horses their lives: drovers and dressage riders, bush brumby runners, the famous horse handlers on film sets and rags-to-riches metropolitan trainers. Riders who have persevered through accident and adversity to stay in the saddle.

From the traditions of old-timers to new methods that challenge the way we think about horses, these stories capture the essence of that special bond between humans and horses. They will resonate with horse-lovers and anyone who enjoys a great Australian yarn.


Great Australian Horse Stories - PB

From the 1800s to the onset of World War 1, pioneers making their homes in outback Australia were joined by their wives, many of them whom had no idea of the difficulties and dangers ahead.

These women encounted conditions which would test their resilience and resourcefullness to the utmost: relentless heat, dust and isolation; hostile wildlife; no medical facilities; and never-ending, backbreaking work.

'Great Pioneer Women of the Outback' profiles ten female pioneers, from Jeannie Gunn, author of the 'Never Never' to equally remarkable but lesser known women, such as Emma Withnell in Western Australia and Evelyn Maunsell in Queensland.

Great Pioneer Women - PB