The Timeless Land
Encyclopedia
The Timeless Land is a work of historical fiction by Eleanor Dark
(1901–1985). The novel The Timeless Land is the first of The Timeless Land trilogy of novels about European settlement and exploration of Australia
.
and Aboriginal
points of view. The novel begins with two Aboriginal men watching the arrival of the First Fleet
at Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1788. The novel describes the first years of the colony and the vindictive diplomacy of captain Arthur Phillip
, famine
and the devastating effects of exotic disease on the previously unexposed Aboriginal population. The novel ends in a dramatic climax when troops encounter an escaped convict. Dark conducted her historical research at the Mitchell Library
in Sydney, Australia. Watkin Tench
, author of The Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson, is a key character in The Timeless Land. The book is regarded as a classic by fans of Australian literature and has been reprinted in 2002 and has a modest following. The novel was on the curriculum for high school students in Australia in the mid twentieth century.
The subsequent books in The Timeless Land trilogy are Storm of Time (1948) and No Barrier (1953).
, premiering on 4 September 1980. It was written by Peter Yeldham
, based on the Eleanor Dark novels, and starred David Gulpilil
as Bennelong
. The 8 episodes of The Timeless Land commenced with a movie-length premier.
Eleanor Dark
Eleanor Dark was an Australian author whose novels included Prelude to Christopher and Return to Coolami , both winners of the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal for literature, and her best known work The Timeless Land .-Life and career:Eleanor Dark was born in Sydney...
(1901–1985). The novel The Timeless Land is the first of The Timeless Land trilogy of novels about European settlement and exploration of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Story and characters
The narrative is told from EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Aboriginal
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
points of view. The novel begins with two Aboriginal men watching the arrival of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
at Sydney Harbour on 26 January 1788. The novel describes the first years of the colony and the vindictive diplomacy of captain Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
, famine
Famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including crop failure, overpopulation, or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompanied or followed by regional malnutrition, starvation, epidemic, and increased mortality. Every continent in the world has...
and the devastating effects of exotic disease on the previously unexposed Aboriginal population. The novel ends in a dramatic climax when troops encounter an escaped convict. Dark conducted her historical research at the Mitchell Library
State Library of New South Wales
The State Library of New South Wales is a large public library owned by the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Macquarie Street, Sydney near Shakespeare Place...
in Sydney, Australia. Watkin Tench
Watkin Tench
Lieutenant-General Watkin Tench was a British Marine officer who is best known for publishing two books describing his experiences in the First Fleet, which established the first settlement in Australia in 1788...
, author of The Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson, is a key character in The Timeless Land. The book is regarded as a classic by fans of Australian literature and has been reprinted in 2002 and has a modest following. The novel was on the curriculum for high school students in Australia in the mid twentieth century.
The subsequent books in The Timeless Land trilogy are Storm of Time (1948) and No Barrier (1953).
Television production
A television series was produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting CommissionAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, premiering on 4 September 1980. It was written by Peter Yeldham
Peter Yeldham
Peter Alan Yeldham is an Australian screenwriter for motion pictures and television, playwright and novelist.- Biography :...
, based on the Eleanor Dark novels, and starred David Gulpilil
David Gulpilil
David Gulpilil Ridjimiraril Dalaithngu , is an Indigenous Australian traditional dancer and actor. His first starring role was Walkabout....
as Bennelong
Bennelong
Woollarawarre Bennelong was a senior man of the Eora, an Aboriginal people of the Port Jackson area, at the time of the first British settlement in Australia, in 1788...
. The 8 episodes of The Timeless Land commenced with a movie-length premier.
See also
- Marcus ClarkeMarcus ClarkeMarcus Andrew Hislop Clarke was an Australian novelist and poet, best known for his novel For the Term of his Natural Life.- Biography :...
: For the Term of His Natural LifeFor the Term of his Natural LifeFor the Term of His Natural Life, written by Marcus Clarke, was published in the Australian Journal between 1870 and 1872 , appearing as a novel in 1874. It is the best known novelisation of life as a convict in early Australian history...
(1870–1872) - Robert HughesRobert Hughes-Politicians:*Robert Hughes, Baron Hughes of Woodside , British Labour politician, MP for Aberdeen North*Robert Gurth Hughes , British Conservative politician, MP for Harrow West-Sportsmen:*Robert Hughes , of Stamford FC...
: The Fatal ShoreThe Fatal ShoreThe Fatal Shore. The epic of Australia's founding, by Robert Hughes, published 1987 by Harvill Press, is a historical account of the United Kingdom's settlement of Australia as a penal colony with convicts. The book details the period 1770 onwards through white settlement to the 1840s, when...
(1987)