THE SECRET RIVER

Australia, 2015, 160 minutes, Colour.
Oliver Jackson- Cohen, Sarah Snook, Lachy Hulme, Tim Minchin, Trevor Jamison, Genevieve Lemon.
Directed by Daina Reid.

The Secret River is based on a prize-winning novel by Kate Grenfell, a fictional account of the early years of the penal settlement in Sydney, just after its establishment as a prison for convicts, with the arrival of free settlers and the pardoning of convicts and their being able to find a home in Australia rather than returning to England.

The film, screened as a miniseries, is beautiful to look at, interesting re-construction of the early colony, the buildings, the wharves, the homes in Sydney, as well as the pioneering efforts of the settlers in the Hawkesbury River area, filled with recurring visuals of great beauty.

The drama focuses on one family, the Thornhills, with William Thornhill transported to Australia for stealing to feed his family, a conscientious man who is pardoned and allowed to work as a free settler. His wife had also come on the ship, not as convict, but as free, and therefore able to take responsibility for her husband, her establishing a rum shop and his working on boats for trade. The detail about life in Sydney, trade, the development of business, the need for food, its transporting, the role of the military, something of their brutality, especially in flogging, and the role of the government.

However, the relationship with the aboriginal people is very strong. They are seen as a presence, appearing and disappearing, lighting fires with smoke to communicate about the arrival of the white settlers, presuming to be able to walk through their land, planting yams for food, the women weaving baskets, scenes of corroboration denunciations, scenes of misunderstanding because of the differences in language. However, there is some hope with one of the settlers, Tom Blackwood, played by blocking human, learning the language, having an aboriginal wife and child. It is here voices the sympathetic arguments for the aborigines throughout the film. composer, Tim Minchin, place the eccentric voicing the hostilities about the savages while being savage in himself. There are glimpses of possibilities of harmony with children playing together and with the women of the colony being able to coexist. William Thornhill himself grows harder as the film goes on, State his claim, presuming that it is his, becoming more and more suspicious of the aborigines and finally with the white mob group attacking and killing them.

Englishman Oliver Jackson- Cohen is strong as William Thornhill and SarahSnook? (Sisters of War, Predestination, Not Suitable for Children) is persuasive as his strong minded wife.

There was criticism at the time that this was a white history of the period instead of a respectful writing of the story by aboriginal authors.


1. Made for television? The television audience? The Australian audience? Newcomers to the land? Aboriginal audiences? International audiences?

2. The adaptation of the novel by Kate Grenville, the adaptation for the stage, for the screen, the reputation of the screen-writers? The reputation of the novel? Its popularity – a piece of fiction written by a white author, interpreting the early years of the colony from the white perspective, the perspective on the aborigines, on the clashes between blacks and whites?

3. The title, the focus on the Hawkesbury River, secret, the home of the aborigines, the intrusion of the white settlers, traders, the change in the Hawkesbury and becoming a white settlement? The clashes with the aborigines? The success of the whites shown as built on this conflict, and violence?

4. The locations, Sydney, the early 1800s, the details of the buildings, houses, trade? The coast? The Hawkesbury and the land on the river? The recurring visuals during the film? The musical score? The song during the final credits?

5. The establishment of colony, post-1788, the range of the convicts, justice and injustice in their sentences, convictions for life, the governor and the granting of pardons, giving new opportunities for the settlers? The role of the free settlers? The military, rum as the currency, memories of the Rum Rebellion? The brutality of the military, the scene of the flogging? And the boys imitating this as a game?

6. The presence of the aborigines, appearing and disappearing? Their appearance, being judged as savage by the whites? The nature of the savagery compared with civilisation? The aborigines and the tribe, the men and women, the children, the warriors? The language – and Blackwood learning the language, his common-law aboriginal wife, his child? The policy of give a little, take a little? Possibilities of coexistence? Yet the quite presumptions about the land, ownership, taking possession? Fighting in defence of the land? Guns and killings?

7. The end of the film, 20 years later, the establishing of the mansion, wealth and respectability, Cobham House and the memories of England? The family, home, servants, good clothes? The visit of the son, his not wanting to speak with his father? The bond with his mother, his sister? His going home – and the irony of his friendship with Blackwood and Blackwood in the boat?

8. The story of William Thornhill, stealing to feed his family, the sentence to the colony, life sentence? Seeing him on arrival, dirty and scruffy? About to be sold? His wife, son, her pregnancy, rushing through the crowd, her being a free settler, claiming him? The claim being respected? The setting up of a house, William and his work offer from Blackwood, the traders? The birth of the child? Sal and her talking about England, always wanting to return, singing the songs, naming the places, the memories, idealising the past?

9. Having the rum shop, the clientele, Blackwood paying, the aborigines drunk and sitting outside? The closing down of the shop, rum being forbidden?

10. William, the years passing, success, his family? Learning the trade, venturing to the Hawkesbury, knowing the currents, manning the boat? Blackwood and his claim of land, William and wanting to move? Sal and her hostility, her control over her husband, training of the children? William and his dream, persuading her, the promise for five years? The birth of Mary, sailing, his claiming land, setting up the attempt, the aboriginal presence and smoke?

11. The years passing, planting the seed, the issue of the yams and the aboriginal upset, taking the shovel? Learning about the aborigines, their passing through, the attempt at language, “me, Thornhill”, “my place”? Daniel, playing with the aboriginal boy, flying a kite, belted because of having no shirt? The coexistence? Blackwood and his continued advice, William discovering him with his wife and child?

12. King, the trade, the contracts, William and his boat, the prices, transporting the, melons et cetera? King and the mixed race secretary with his education? His theory of educating the savagery out of the aborigines?

13. The years passing, William becoming more autocratic, getting the convicts as servants, holding it over the man who had been at school with him? Sal and her learning to understand the aborigines better, the women, the woven baskets, coming and asking for the sugar? Singing London songs, listening to the aboriginal women singing? The aborigines the rituals, corroboree? William understanding less and less? Confronting the aborigines, their setting the corn
on fire?

14. The other settlers, Sullivan and his madness, sense of superiority, the other men? Attacks and wounding? The final ganging up on the aborigines, the shootings, William’s hesitation, being confronted by the aboriginal leader, shooting? Washing the blood off his hands? The secrecy? Sal saying she hoped William would never do this?

15. The women, helping Sal when she was unwell, the visits, and living in peace with the aborigines?

16. The picture of the early settlement, the nature of the convicts, the free settlers, the administration, the taking of the land, the military, the violence against the aborigines? And the prosperity of the colony based on this experience?

17. The 21st century perspective on these stories, on ancestors, on aboriginal experience rights?