Wandjina!

Last updated

Wandjina!
Wandjina! TV show.png
Ad from The Age 30 May 1966
Created by G. K. Saunders
Country of origin Australia
No. of episodes7
Production
Cinematography John Seale
Running time30 minutes
Original release
Network ABC Television
Release1966 (1966)

Wandjina! was an Australian children's science fantasy television series produced by ABC Television and first aired in 1966. Its story, inspired by Dreamtime mythology of the spirit ancestors of the Kimberley region of north-West Australia, was about three teenagers caught up in an adventure linked to local sacred Aboriginal cave paintings of the Wandjina — the "people from the sky" who visited long ago, in the Dreamtime. [1]

Contents

Wandjina! was the first drama production by ABC in Sydney that combined film and videotape footage. [1]

Synopsis

A team of scientists, including Miss Smith, venture into the Australian outback to investigate strange incidents. Donald MacPherson, a Scots-born anthropologist, discovers aboriginal cave paintings depicting mythical alien beings—the 'Wandjina', an extraterrestrial race that visited the ancient aborigines. Disturbing events suggest that not only are the beings real, they have not all left. Ann MacPherson, the anthropologist's daughter, and Linda, an aboriginal girl, explore the Wandjina caves near Booala Station and stumble upon a cave full of skeletons. [2] They see some strange things: In one scene a mysterious hooded figure hunts kangaroos with a rod that strikes them down silently from a distance. The Wandjina resemble hooded monks with what look like life-support backpacks, similar to those used by astronauts. Their power base is a lighthouse-style tower above the farmland.

In one episode, gale-force winds occur when an elongated skull, the Wandjina Skull, is dug up from the sands.

Cast

Production

The series was based on a radio serial, Country of the Skull, by G. K. Saunders, who had also written The Stranger.

White actor Julianna Allan was cast as an Aboriginal girl. [3]

Filming began in September 1965 on location in Western New South Wales including Cooper's Creek and Broken Hill. It was also shot at the ABC studios. [4]

Reception

The Canberra Times said, "It is hard to chase the spectre of Blue Hills out of the mind. Whether teenagers will fall for it is doubtful. It could be that the producers have underestimated their sophistication. Linda, the aboriginal playmate of the station owner's daughter, Anne, looks just like what she is — a white girl with obvious make-up, (the blurb says they had trouble with this owing to water colour difficulties, and it is apparent on the screen); when she opens her mouth she sounds like a graduate from a specially selected girls' school. These two points combined don't add to the authenticity." [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology</span> Ritual and traditional history of the Indigenous peoples of Australia

Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology is the sacred spirituality represented in the stories performed by Aboriginal Australians within each of the language groups across Australia in their ceremonies. Aboriginal spirituality includes the Dreamtime, songlines, and Aboriginal oral literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dreaming</span> Sacred era in Australian Aboriginal mythology

The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his colleague Baldwin Spencer and thereafter popularised by A. P. Elkin, who, however, later revised his views.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wandjina</span> Spirit beings of north-western Australian Aboriginal mythology

The Wandjina, also written Wanjina and Wondjina and also known as Gulingi, are cloud and rain spirits from Australian Aboriginal mythology that are depicted prominently in rock art in Australia. Some of the artwork in the Kimberley region of Western Australia dates back to approximately 4,000 years ago. Another closely related spirit entity is the creator being Wunngurr, a being analogous to the Rainbow Serpent in other Aboriginal peoples' belief systems, but with a different interpretation.

<i>Jedda</i> 1955 Australian film

Jedda, released in the UK as Jedda the Uncivilised, is a 1955 Australian film written, produced and directed by Charles Chauvel. His last film, it is notable for being the first to star two Aboriginal actors, Robert Tudawali and Ngarla Kunoth in the leading roles. It was also the first Australian feature film to be shot in colour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuggeranong</span> Place in Australian Capital Territory

Tuggeranong is a district in the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. The district is subdivided into divisions (suburbs), sections and blocks and is the southernmost district of the Australian Capital Territory. The district comprises nineteen suburbs and occupies 117 square kilometres (45 sq mi) to the east of the Murrumbidgee River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Aboriginal sacred site</span> Places deemed significant and meaningful by Aboriginal Australians based on their beliefs

An Australian Aboriginal sacred site is a place deemed significant and meaningful by Aboriginal Australians based on their beliefs. It may include any feature in the landscape, and in coastal areas, these may lie underwater. The site's status is derived from an association with some aspect of social and cultural tradition, which is related to ancestral beings, collectively known as Dreamtime, who created both physical and social aspects of the world. The site may have its access restricted based on gender, clan or other Aboriginal grouping, or other factors.

George Kenneth Saunders (1910–2005), also known as Ken Saunders, was a New Zealand writer, born in England, who had a substantial career in Australia.

Josephine Mary Flood, is an English-born Australian archaeologist, mountaineer, and author.

"A Time to Speak" is a 1965 Australian television film, which aired on ABC. It is a period drama set around 1900. It was written by Noel Robinson. This was the third production to appear in three weeks. It aired on 7 April 1965 in Sydney and Melbourne.

The Cell is an Australian play by Robert Wales. The setting is in a school for delinquent girls.

Wednesday Theatre is a 1960s Australian anthology show which aired on the ABC.

The Nargun and The Stars is a children's fantasy mini-series based on the award-winning novel of the same name written by Patricia Wrightson. The series contained five episodes, each of thirty minutes duration. The first episode was screened on 15 September 1981.

"Plain Jane" is a 1966 Australian TV movie. It stars Elspeth Ballantyne and was produced by Oscar Whitbread for the ABC. "Plain Jane" aired on 5 January 1966 in Sydney and Melbourne, and on 25 May 1966 in Brisbane.

I, the Aboriginal is an Australian book and television film about the life of Aboriginal Australian Phillip Roberts.

The Angry General is a 1964 Australian television play written by Australian author Allan Trevor.

"Should the Woman Pay?" is the 13th television play episode of the first season of the Australian anthology television series Australian Playhouse. Originally aired on ABC on 11 July 1966

"A Small Wonder" is the 29th television play episode of the first season of the Australian anthology television series Australian Playhouse. "A Small Wonder" was written by Jeff Underhill and directed by James Davern and originally aired on ABC on 31 October 1966 in Sydney and Melbourne. and 7 November 1966 in Brisbane.

"The Voice" is the 21st television play episode of the first season of the Australian anthology television series Australian Playhouse. "The Voice" was written by Kenneth Hayles and originally aired on ABC on 5 September 1966.

"The Lace Counter" is the 24th television play episode of the first season of the Australian anthology television series Australian Playhouse. "The Lace Counter" was written by Pat Flower and originally aired on ABC on 26 September 1966.

Julianna Allan was an Australian actress. She played an Aboriginal girl in Wandjina! (1966).

References

  1. 1 2 "Timeline - 50 Years of ABC Kid's TV". ABC Television. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  2. ↑ Nan Musgrove (27 April 1966). "Wandjina: Television". Australian Women's Weekly. p. 21. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  3. ↑ "Untitled". The Canberra Times . Vol. 40, no. 11, 463. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 9 May 1966. p. 17. Retrieved 17 July 2020– via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "Untitled". The Canberra Times . Vol. 40, no. 11, 451. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 April 1966. p. 13. Retrieved 17 July 2020– via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "TELEVISION Adaptations are dubious value". The Canberra Times . Vol. 40, no. 11, 458. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 3 May 1966. p. 15. Retrieved 17 July 2020– via National Library of Australia.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.