Original subtitles

(bright music)

(gong beats)

(dramatic orchestral music)

- [Narrator] In 1942, the Japanese were driving

invincibly southward from Singapore.

It seemed inevitable that next into their hands

Would fall the Northern territory of Australia;

largest undeveloped region in the world,

with a million head of cattle

and the population of only 5,000 whites.

Space, scorched earth and space,

was Australia's final weapon,

but first, the vast herds of the North must be saved.

And so across Australia moved a mass migration,

unique in history.

From small beginnings, the mobs of cattle

poured south in an almost unending flood.

This is the story of one mob,

and of the people who drove it across a continent.

(metal crunches)

(water rushing)

(dramatic music)

- The Japs will get nothing from me.

(dramatic music)

(horse hooves clicking)

(downhearted music)

(whip cracking)

(cattle lowing)

- Old Guts Ache wants ya, Boss.

- Righto.

Hold 'em boys, I gotta see the manager.

Looking for me, Bert?

- Yes, come in Dan.

I was just telling the boys, I've got a shock for you.

- What's that, company giving us a raise?

- That's the biggest shock, could be tending on whiskey.

(men chuckling)

- Listen, boys.

I've just had this telegram.

Close works.

Stop.

Load vital machine parts on SS WELBRO immediately.

Stop.

Destroy phrasing plant.

Evacuate personnel.

Stop.

Regards, Barton.

- Nice of him to send his regards anyhow.

- Well, it looks like we're through or anyway.

- Must be expecting the Japs.

They were close enough last night.

Yes, too bloomin' close.

- Well it's no use squawking.

The one thing we've plenty of in Australia is space.

So why not use it, like the Russian's did?

Scorched earth and space.

Oh, here, help yourself.

There won't be any big shots up here for awhile.

And don't bother about packing that stuff.

Just rip it out and get it aboard.

- What about the cattle, Bert?

- Just shoot them where they are.

I've got some ammo for you here somewhere.

- I'm not going to shoot those cattle, Bert.

- It makes some fine dinners for the Japs.

- I won't leave them for the Japs boys.

I'll overland 'em.

- You'd never get through, Dan.

Look.

This was just to stop you

from committing suicide.

We're here.

You'll either have to make for Adelaide or Queensland.

Adelaide is 2000 miles away.

Queensland is 1500.

- I'll make it to Queensland.

- Alright. And when you cross the Ord

you'll be out of feed and water.

It's terrible country.

You know how the Duracks were coming here?

Three years.

No war would be over, Dan.

- You can't tell me there haven't been

any big movements of cattle since the Duracks.

Listen, Bert when I went down to Halls Creek to enlist

the Sergeant there, Patterson, he said to me, "In this war

bullocks are more important than bullets.

You stick to cattle," he said,

"and you'd be doing a better job for Australia

than bashing a Spider in some army camp."

Then they knocked me back.

I was the only recruit that day.

So we went out and got drunk.

But I've never forgotten what he said,

"Bullocks and more important than bullets."

- He was right in a way, but-

- But you want me to leave a thousand of the cattle to rot?

If I can get a plant together with it, let me have a go?

- I'd have to have an official okay.

- Ah, don't give me that line of bull, Bert.

You know you've got authority

for all I need. Will you back me?

- I can't stop you, Dan.

I'll tell you what I'll do.

I don't know why people make such a fuss of these things.

They always come unstuck on me.

I'll tell you what I'll do.

I'll give you a personal contract

and try and have it okayed when I go south.

- Good on you, Bert.

I knew you wouldn't let me down.

- You know what you're trying to do, don't you, Dan?

You're trying to drive a mob of half wild cattle

the distance from London and Moscow in a bad season

and the wrong time of the year.

- No wonder they call you Old Guts Ache?

Well I'll see in Moscow.

(door slams)

(men chatting)

- Woo! Just watch it.

Come on, come on.

- Hey, Corky.

Hold on a minute.

I want to have a yarn with the boys.

- Not now, Dan, my boy.

You'd be frozen at the hip and I get a cut.

- This is important.

- What's more important than making dough?

Come on, stand clear.

Come in Spinner, come on.

There you go boys, there you go.

(coins rattle)

Gentlemen, Mr. Dan McAlpine wants to say a few words.

- Listen, fellas, here's the story.

I want six men to help me drive

a mob of cattle to Queensland.

Well, what about it?

- You're too late, Dan.

- It's the wrong time of the year.

- You'll never get through the centre.

- That's my funeral.

- And it's likely to be.

(men laughing)

- Like this, Dan.

We're going to join up when we get south.

We want to sort of stick together.

- [Man] That's right.

We ought to be doing a war job.

- This is a war job.

Bullocks are more important than bullets.

- And much bigger.

You can see them coming.

- Fair go, fair go.

Let's get this straight.

Who's coming with me?

- None of us, Dan.

We ain't going to fight.

- [Bert] Come and get it!

- You'll come with me, won't you Jacky?

- Where to, Boss?

- They cross three states: Western Australia,

Northern territory and Queensland to the sea.

- How long on the road, Boss?

- Oh a year, maybe two.

- Okay. I'll come with you.

Wait till I tell the missus,

I'll be back in five minutes.

- I'll come with you, if you'll have me.

- You're a sailor, aren't you?

- Yes.

- There's nothing romantic about us you know.

We don't carry guns and shoot up rustlers.

We're just plain cattlemen.

Hard yacka and hard tucker.

I think you better stay by your ship.

- But I hate the sea.

My home's in Scotland.

My mother was killed in The Blitz.

I've been torpedoed twice.

Once I spent 19 days in the ship's boat.

I thought I'd got over it by now

but the bombing out here has brought it on again.

I'm a coward, I suppose.

- Oh, I wouldn't say that.

Can you ride a horse?

- No, I'm afraid, I can't.

Well, not very well anyway.

- Can you cook?

- Yes, I can.

And I don't mind hard work.

- Could you get a discharge?

- Yes. The Skipper said I could on medical grounds.

- Oh, what's the good of you and me and Jacky.

We'd lose half the cattle the first night.

Well, I suppose I better start shooting.

I was dead set on getting those cattle through.

- And so you shall, Dan, my boy.

All is now well.

Dr. Corkendale in person coming for you.

- You are, Corky?

It means work, you know.

- I worked for a time.

- I thought you were all set for the city.

- Well, on some consideration.

What a tragedy by the way.

On further consideration I thought it wise

to avoid the bright lights of Sydney a little while longer.

We get paid for this trip, I hope?

- You bet.

- Yes Dan, what are you offering?

- Standard drivers rate.

Six quid a week and tucker.

And a bonus at the end if we get through.

- That's all right then.

You see Les and I've got some pretty

good horses that we didn't like leaving.

So if we can stick them in with your plant,

well you can count on us.

- You beaut!

Moscow, here I come.

- Moscow? I thought you said Queensland.

- Oh, that's just a fancy of mine.

Well, come on, let's get some gear together.

(horses trotting)

- Whoa.

G'day, Bill.

- G'day, Mrs. Parsons.

- Helen.

- Got us any wagon, Bill?

- No.

- Ah, well I'll pinch it after you sail.

- We're not sailing, we're coming with you.

- No, you're not, Bill.

It's not a job for women, but thanks for the offer.

- Now, wait a minute, Dan.

Hold those.

Now look here, Dan.

You know that me and my family are better

with a cattle than any of these rat bags you got here.

- Come over here, Bill.

- Who's the girl?

- Bill Parson's daughter but don't bother

her mother watches her like a hawk.

- Yeah.

- Mary.

Here dear, put this on.

- But mother, Jeff never asked me.

- Yes dear, I know, but your father is set

on making this trip and it will be better

for all of us if the men think you're attached.

- Hello? - Hello.

- Can I call you Sinbad?

He was a sailor.

- If you like.

- All right then. But there's one thing

you have to get straight, Bill.

I'm the boss.

This is my idea and I'm going to see it through

as boss drover.

- That's okay with me.

Didn't think I wanted to take ya plans over, did you?

- You were so argumentative, old cow,

I wouldn't put it past ya.

Sailor, put that stuff on the wagon.

The Parsons' are coming with us.

- Okay.

- The boy will give you a hand, Mary.

What's your name? - Hunter.

But your little girl calls me Sinbad.

You see I'm a sailor.

- This is my daughter, Mary.

- Hello Mary. - Hello.

- [Hunter] Glad to know you.

- Is that ship taking mail?

Mary wants to get off a letter

to her fiance in the middle east.

- Oh, yes. I expect so Mrs. Parson.

- Oh mother, you are the limit.

- Here's your contract, Dan.

Two bob a head for every 100 miles

and £8 a day waiting money.

Oh, and there's just one thing.

This bonus, I can't promise anything,

but I'll do the best I can.

- That'll be all right.

The company doesn't come across

I'll take it out of mine.

- Oh, that's just plain stupid.

- Hey Steward.

What about a bottle of whiskey?

- Sorry. All inbound.

- How about a bottle of beer?

- Inbound too.

- Have you gotten any fags?

- Got none.

- No businesses.

- The ropes, take 'em off.

(bell ringing)

(water splashes)

- Bye, Bill.

And all the best, Dan

and I still you're taking on too big a job.

- You'll be sorry, sailor!

(sailors yelling)

- Don't forget to tie him up before they run.

- What do ya call him? Phar Lap?

- It's a mare, not a horse!

- He wouldn't know the difference anyway!

(horn blares)

- I wish I had some more experienced men.

- Ah, the kid's all right.

(sailors chanting, "You'll be sorry!")

(sombre music)

- [Dan Voiceover] They were the last white people we

could expect to see for four months.

(peppy orchestral music)

We only made four miles that first day, but it was a start.

We had 968 head of cattle and 53 horses.

You need about six horses per man on a trip like this when

you're working 'em night and day.

So without Les and Charlie's 20

we'd have been very short.

(whip cracks)

At night we set our watches to drovers time.

That is sunset six o'clock.

The cattle have settled down pretty well.

So I let Nipper and Les take the first watch.

Next morning, we started the droving routine.

Sleeping cattle have to be awakened gently

or they're liable to stampede.

So there are no crack of whips in the pickaninny dawn.

While the cattle was still wild,

I put Jacky on to give them a lead,

but soon natural leaders from among the cattle

take over the job.

And these stay in front of the whole of the drove.

Les and Charlie, having the best horses,

rode the wings to prevent breakaways.

I put Mary on the tail with Corky.

I was paying her a man's wage

so I wanted to see how good she was.

She seemed to shape up all right.

With plenty of feed and water,

the plant and the mob settled down pretty well.

And we made good time, but I knew this was the easy bit.

(whip cracks)

The usual day's drove is 8 to 10 miles.

We sometimes did 15.

We were late and time was our enemy.

It took us a month across the coastal Plains

then we started through the scrub.

There were 200 miles at that, without a break.

This made the going a lot harder

because you must keep the cattle in a tight bunch

or you'll lose the stragglers.

But there was still quite a lot of surface water about

which helped to keep the gang cheerful.

- You know what a woman in Souther's Towers said to me once?

"Hawkins," she said,

"You're a magnificent hunk of man."

- And what happened then?

- Then? Then she pinched my wallet.

(water splashes)

- Don't you think Sinbad's lovely, Mary?

- Yes, I think he's nice.

- I terribly in love with him, you know. He's my boyfriend.

- Are you in love with anyone, Mary?

- Oh, I don't know.

- [Dan Voiceover] So the second month went by.

Although the daily routine remained the same

there were always little episodes to break the monotony.

- The black fellas know we're coming.

See the smoke signal?

- Look, Helen.

Wild, wild blacks.

- [Dan Voiceover] As we got inland, it got hotter

and the drag got harder.

So it was quite a thrill for us to come

on the brand new north south road

built across Australia to supply the fighting

in the islands.

- Bit of a change from the old days, hey ma?

- My word.

I never thought I'd see a bitumen road in the territory.

- They tell me it's gonna be like this

all the way to Darwin.

Takes a war, eh?

- It does.

- Well, we better get 'em across.

- Something coming, Dan.

- Dan, it's convoy!

It's a convoy, ma!

- Might get some news of the war.

- I wonder where the Japs landed?

(motors running)

(people cheering)

- Look, it's a girl!

Take a geek at the sheila!

- You beaut!

- Hey, how's the war going?

- They stopped them at Mill bay.

- They canned 'em at Kokoda.

- Wait till we get there!

- Good on ya mate, good on ya digger.

(men cheering)

(horses trotting)

- [Dan Voiceover] It was a week after crossing the road

that we came to our first big obstacle.

(gunshot)

- That scared him at any rate.

- Well, what do you make of it Bill?

- I dunno.

I've never seen so much water this time of the year.

It's a cow.

How far's Cuttaburra Crossing, Jacky?

- About 50 to 70 miles.

- That means a fortnight to get back to the stock route.

We can't afford the time, Bill, we'll have to swim.

- Do you think we can swim here, Jacky?

- Sure.

May lose all the cattle though, Boss.

(Jacky laughs)

- Encouraging bloke, Jacky.

Well, Bill and I've just been down to the main stream.

We'll have to swim.

The idea is I'm going to cross over now

and have a look at the other bank.

If it's not too soft, Nipper will follow with the horses.

Mrs. Parsons, you and young Helen

will crossover in the wagon with the tucker.

Then we'll have a crack at the cattle, Charlie.

All right?

- Yes, ok, Dan.

- Good, let's get going.

- Hang on, Dan. I'll come with you.

Now this is the job for you, Sailor.

You're going to make this wagon into a boat.

Empty out these canteens and lash them back on front.

- Fore and aft?

- So she'll float.

And you can use those drums as well, but lash them tight.

Got it?

- Okay, Bill, I've got the idea.

- Aye, aye, sir.

(dramatic orchestral music)

(horse snorts)

(water splashes)

- Okay, Bill.

Send over Nipper and the horses.

- Righto, push 'em in.

(whip cracks)

- I think she’ll float, all right.

- I think she's beaut.

- So glad you've come to the launch, Lady Parsons.

Now if you'll take this bottle

and propel it against the stern,

saying these words, "I hereby name thee the Saucey Sue

and on the-"

- For heaven's sake, stop playing the fool.

There's work to be done, Dan's waiting.

Got to get it done before the crossing.

- Right!

- Come along Rusty, come along boy.

- Righto Helen, I'll take him for you.

(hopeful music)

- Righto, Bill!

(water splashing)

(dramatic orchestral music)

- Straight and easy, Nipper.

(horse neighs)

- What's the matter, Rusty?

Help. Mummy, quick!

Sinbad!

- Let go! Let go at once!

(gunshot)

- Keep them going, keep them going.

- Nice shot, sailor.

Thanks.

Good on ya, Ma.

Now for the cattle.

(whistling)

(whip cracks)

Keep on going, Bill.

Don't let them check.

Lead them right in.

(whip cracks)

(water splashes)

(cattle lowing)

(whips crack)

(upbeat orchestral music)

(water splashes)

(water splashes)

(cattle lowing)

(water splashes)

(whips crack)

- What about crocs?

- My boy, I'm from Wyndham.

If they come near me, I'll take off.

(water splashes)

(triumphant music)

- Good on ya, fellas.

We're on our way.

- [Dan Voiceover] After we left the river,

the feed started to get very poor.

This slowed us up a lot.

We went down to 5 miles a day

with 1,000 still to go, when one morning

a tragedy happened.

(horse hooves pounding)

- Boss! Boss!

Hey boss!

- What's up?

- It wasn't my fault, boss.

They went five, maybe seven miles.

- What happened to the horses?

- They ate poison weed, Boss.

- [Dan] Poison weed!

- Helen, stay here.

- What's happened, ma?

- The horses are poisoned.

(horse hooves pounding)

(birds squawking)

- They're so lovely alive.

- There's nothing we can do here, Bill.

- No.

- Get the harnesses and the bells, Nipper.

And of yours among them, Charlie?

- No, not one.

- That's lucky.

- Yeah, we're gonna need them now.

- I hope he doesn't think he's going to work the guts

out of our bunch.

(metal clanging)

- Worst of it is, half the horses

we've got left are crook anyhow.

- Not Les and Charlie's.

- Soon will be if we work them 24 hours a day.

Better rest up a couple of weeks, huh?

- Yeah. Do the cattle good.

Lucky there's feed and water.

- We think we should move on, Dan.

- We've got to rest the beasts up

a couple of weeks, Charlie.

Otherwise we're likely to loose the lot.

- Yeah. Well we're not staying.

You've seen what the country's like

if we hang around here, it will be too dry to move.

Then the wet will hit us

and we'll be stuck here till the winter.

We're going on and we're taking our horses.

- You realise that means standing us

and the cattle up here, don't you?

- Well, we think this trip's crazy anyway.

You're likely to lose the whole lot, horses and all.

So we're getting out.

(slap)

- Old cow!

- Here, stop that! Stop that both of you.

While we're in camp, I'm boss

and I won't have fighting.

That goes for you too Dan McAlpine.

Now you can take your mate and your precious horses

and get out. - But Ma-

- Shut up.

We don't want dingoes in this camp.

We'll get along all right without them.

- Bill, I've got an idea.

There's horses at Brunette Down.

Taking Jacky and Nipper, I could be back in a month.

- And wait for a fortnight for the horses to recover?

- Yeah, that's right.

- Can't we leave the cattle here

and pick them up after the wet?

- You don't want to give in, do you Corky?

- Dan my boy,

I put myself to sleep every night, counting that bonus.

- Hey Dan, I just saw the strangest thing.

You know that lot of trees you call kangaroo clump.

Well, just at the back of it just now

I saw a big bunch of horses.

- Horses!

- They're brumbies, wild horses.

- Well, I better go out and shoot the Brumby stallion

or if we're trying to cut out our mares.

- But why shoot them, Bill?

Why not catch them?

- By crikey, the kids' right.

- How many's in a mob, Corky?

- About a hundred.

- We wouldn't need a hundred Bill.

A dozen or so would do us.

- Okay. Okay, Dan, you're the boss.

- What, you think it's no go?

- It's too big a gamble.

If you miss them the first time they're gone for keeps.

We're back where we are now,

accepting that you will have lost another three weeks

and that three weeks may mean losing the cattle.

Too big a gamble, I take it.

- Isn't this whole trip a gamble?

- Going after brumbies at a time like this

is just something for nothing rubbish,

that's what it is.

- Maybe you're right

but if we don't move soon we won't get through at all

and I'm going to get those cattle through.

We've got to take a chance. Any chance.

So we go after the brumbies.

- Okay. Okay, Dan, you're the boss.

Sounds like a flaming wild goose chase to me.

- Bill, you've named the first one we catch.

Wild Goose out of Corky's folly by gamble.

(crickets chirping)

- [Dan Voiceover] At night, we watched the brumbies

come into water.

Luckily the water hole was in the gap in the hills

which made it easier to make a trap.

- I can see Wild Goose, the big stallion,

with white stockings.

- It's not the time and place.

- Quiet.

- Nice lot of horses, hey Bill?

- I haven't got them yet.

- [Dan Voiceover] Our first job was to build a fence

with a slip gate in the middle of it,

across the narrowest part of the gap.

While we did this, the others got the ropes ready.

These were to prevent the brumbies breaking back

when we started driving them towards the gate.

The bits of cloth made them show up in the dark.

The women didn't like tearing up their party frocks

but it was all we had.

We finished the job in two days

and decided to go right ahead.

- This is your job, Helen.

It's very important.

You see this rope?

It's attached to the gate of that fence down there.

You'll see the horses pass and

pause outside the stockade.

We're going to try and scare them through the gate.

And then when they're all in, all in mind you,

not before, you cut the rope, wham!

The gate shuts and we got them.

All right? - Yes, Dan.

- Good kid.

- Dan? - Yeah?

- Suppose they don't go in.

- They don't go in, Helen, we're sunk.

She's all set.

Here they come. - Yeah.

(dramatic music)

(yelling)

(whistling)

(whip cracks)

- Oh go in. Please go in.

(whistling)

(whip cracks)

(whip cracks)

(water splashes)

We've done it! We've done it!

Sinbad, we've done it!

(Helen screams)

- Okay, Dan, they're in.

- Well, so far so good, hey Bill?

- Yeah, but now-

- I know, now we got to break 'em.

Well, that's got rid of the rubbish anyhow.

- Breaks my bleeding heart to see them go.

I bet you I get a fiver a head for them

at Anthony's Lagoon.

- We're not gone to Anthony's Lagoon.

- But Dan, they got beer there.

You know, Dan, beer!

The stuff they make with hops.

I haven't tasted the drop

since they bumped the pub at Wyndham.

- Yeah, that's the trouble.

We'd lose you for a week.

You'd half kill yourself with the booze.

- What a fate.

Oh come off it, Dan.

You like a drink as well as the next one.

- I know I do and so does Bill and the sailor.

What happens to the cattle then?

We're not going to Anthony's Lagoon.

- Wowser.

- How is he, Jacky?

- Pretty strong, Boss.

I think he'll buck the pants off ya.

- Yeah, we'll see.

- I'm glad we're going on.

- Are you, Sindbad?

- Of course, Mary.

You know why.

- Look, look! Dan's up.

- Right, Jacky. Let her go.

(bouncy orchestral music)

- Keep going, Dan.

- Mary, Mary, Sinbad! I've broken Wild Goose in!

Come and see!

- If you don't feel like a beer after that,

you're not human.

- Look. Isn't he lovely?

- That's nicer than the other wild gooses.

Helen, why didn't you let him go with the others?

- Oh, but he's coming with us.

Corky and I have gotta enter him into the Melbourne Cup.

Haven't we, Goosey?

(hopeful orchestral music)

(whips crack)

- [Dan Voiceover] Helen got round me of course

and Wild Goose became a member of the plant.

We lost a week breaking the brumbies

and they were still hard to get any real work out of

but they saved us overworking our trained night horses.

Everyone was glad to be on the move.

Even Corky, who seem resigned to missing out on the beer.

- Nice to get a letter, wouldn't it, Mary?

- Oh wonderful.

Isn't it a shame we can't go to Anthony's Lagoon?

- I'd speak to Dan about it.

- I think I will.

- You're going to check your contract at Lagoon, Bill?

- We're not going there.

- You want to see your contract, Bill?

- Why?

- The whole family might be working for nothing.

- I never thought of that.

- Supplies running low, Mrs. Parson?

- Yes, they are a bit, Corky,

but I think we'll manage.

- Wonderful supplies at the Lagoon.

- Have they got milk?

- Tonnes of it my dear, all kinds.

- Oh, we might run out.

Wild Goose drinks and drinks.

- Sensible creature.

- Ya missus tells me she's a bit short of stores, Bill?

What about calling at the Lagoon?

- Well, I think we ought to have a look at that contract,

you know?

- And maybe some letters.

- And news of the war.

- Milk for Wild Goose.

- Everybody seemed very keen all of a sudden.

What about you, Corky?

- Huh?

Oh, it's immaterial to me, Dan.

You know the cattle come first with me.

So anything you say.

- You sound too good to be true.

Anyhow, I'll think about it.

(horses trotting)

- Anthony's Lagoon!

Wine, women, and song.

Lead on, McAlpine!

- Any letters for Parson?

- Or McAlpine? - Or Corkendale?

- Wait a minute, just got this telegram going out.

- Oh, can you just see if there's any mail?

- First come first serve, ma'am.

That gentleman's from Camooweal.

- But we've come all the way from Wyndham.

- That's a long trip.

- Yeah, fair trot. Best part of a 1,000 mile, I reckon.

- Cattle all right?

- Wonderful, Nick, wonderful.

- [Nick] They need to be for the next bit.

- Bad, is it?

- Terrible. Starting to bring all the cattle down

from the Gulf country.

- Is that right?

- [Nick] They're eating heart out of the stone fruit,

water's short too.

- Oh well, we'll get through all right.

- Hello, hello?

What names did you say?

Is that you, Milly? It's Glad here.

I've got to telegram, 19 words ordinary.

To the Carters.

What's that?

Is he? Oh the poor dear.

All right, I'll wait.

Her baby's crying again.

Always does when the phone rings.

What names did you say?

- Parsons. - McAlpine.

- Corkingdale.

J. Celeverhouse Corkingdale.

- Oh, Corky, you never told us.

It's terrific.

- Looks beautiful on cheques.

- McAlpine?

- Yes.

- Mary Parsons.

- Thanks.

- Corkingdale?

- No.

- Anything for Maxwell? - Yes.

- Captain Hector Maxwell?

- That's right.

- Thank you.

Another branch of the family.

- Strike contract.

- It's something anyway.

- No bonus?

- No bonus, Corky.

- That's gratitude for you.

I always knew with old Billy and no heart.

Forgotten men, that's what we are.

Saving rotten cattle from the Japs

and then he forgets us.

- You'll get your bonus, Corky.

Mary hasn't been neglected anyhow.

- Oh, he's only writing cause he's having a good time

with English girls. - Lay off.

- I was in the last war, and every time I slipped

I used to write to my girl.

Remarkable the number of letters she got.

- Oh shut up, Corky.

- Okay. Okay.

Come and have a drink.

- See you later, Mary.

(drunken singing)

(stumbling)

(all laughing)

- Get up you lot.

We've got move to the cattle in the morning.

- Ma, you're wonderful.

- [Dan Voiceover] The stages towards the Queensland border

where everything that Camooweal bloke had said.

No feed, no surface water, dry as a bone.

The only water we got was from government bores.

And they were few.

Being short handed made it worse.

And tempers got a bit edgy.

- Get out of it! Go on.

Get up.

(whip cracks)

Get up there, get up.

Get out of there.

- [Dan] Why the hell did you take them out of there?

- What did you think I was doing?

- Haven't I told you the only way

to hold 'em back was to get off your horse and face them.

Man on foot scare them stiff.

Don't try to be a cowboy, just get off your horse.

- Oh shut your trap.

Get up, get on.

(whip cracks)

- [Dan Voiceover] It's a funny thing in such a dry country

that bog holes or one of the greatest dangers to cattle.

At last, the sight of the border Hills of Queensland

promised easier going.

I was worried about inoculating the cattle.

It's a strict law when you cross the state border

but the rest of the plant got quite cheery.

♪ Old there ain't no rest in the great nor-west ♪

♪ Where the shade is best ♪

♪ Hardships, hardships ♪

♪ You never want hardships ♪

♪ In summer when the feed is dry ♪

♪ And we left behind ♪

- [Dan] Don't know how Corky can sing in this.

- [Mary] Huh?

- [Dan] I said, I don't know how Corky can sing.

- [Mary] Why not? We're getting near the border.

Won't be long now.

♪ Just come down from darling town ♪

♪ Where the men are black and gold ♪

♪ Hardships, hardships ♪

- Helen, stop that.

I won't have Corky teaching you such things.

- But Mum, he only teaches me the clean verses.

- I should hope so.

- Aeroplane coming.

- Him come this way.

- Hey Corky, Jacky says there's a plane coming.

- Maybe it's Mr. Curtin come to congratulate us.

Maybe he'll give us a medal.

- Maybe it's a Jap.

- Blimey, I never thought of that.

(plane engine roars)

- Hard country to take cattle over.

- There they are.

(horses trotting)

Mr. McAlpine?

- That's me.

- Gosport's my name.

- Glad to know you, Mr. Gosport.

- You make good time.

- Not bad.

- The minister sends his congratulations.

- Well thanks.

There are the members of my plant.

There's a Bill Parson-

(cattle lowing)

- Hello boy.

- He's a feeder bully.

- Aye. We know it's a feeder?

- What's the matter with your friend?

- Oh, don't take any notice of him.

He thought you were Jack Curtin.

For inoculation, eh?

- Yes, it's the law you know.

- That'll be all right, Mr. Gosport.

Going be a job yarding 'em though.

- There's that old musting camp at the 20 mile?

- Mr. Costport, Bill Parsons.

- How do you do?

- Well that sounds very good to me.

- Yeah? Well you have to make it snappy.

Not much water there and our limit's two days.

- How long would it take you to go to Wyndham?

- In this?

Oh, about six hours.

- Do you know how long we've taken?

- How long?

- Six months. - Six months!

- Mhm.

- Open the gate, Mary.

Righto, boys. Bring on some more.

Got another log, Bill?

- Yeah.

How about the Mitchell's?

- Oh, I wouldn't worry about them yet, Corky.

- What are you cooking up now, Corky?

- My friend here is a stock broker at city street.

He's advising me on my company.

- What company?

- Like to see my prospectus?

Here.

Northern Territory Exploitation Company.

Capital £100,000.

J. Cleverhouse Corkingdale, Managing Director.

Sounds good, eh?

- Objects of the company, to exploit the vast potential,

pasture and mineral wealth of

Australia's Northern territory.

- Hey, what's the game?

You can't do that.

- I've done it.

- Well, what's wrong with it?

- There's just one thing wrong, Corky.

That word exploit.

We've exploited our south for a 100 years

and torn the heart out of it.

Territory is far too valuable to be messed

about by get rich quick schemes like yours.

I say let's save the north

from what we've done to the south.

- You mean leave it to the cattle king?

- No, I mean leave it to Australians.

Ordinary Australians like Bill and his family.

National job, Corky. Too big for little people like you.

- Oh rubbish.

(Jacky singing)

- Your supper's ready, Sinbad.

- Thanks.

It's settled down all right.

- Good.

- Decent sort of night, isn't it?

- Lovely.

- See the cockatoos?

Dozens of them.

I wonder what Jacky's singing about.

- About the time his people own this land, probably.

When they were happy.

You'd better go now, Sinbad.

- Yes, I supposed so.

Well 'night then.

- Goodnight, Sinbad.

- Oh, by the way, would you like this horse?

- All right, he's good on night work.

Riding real Bushman style these days, Sinbad.

Long stirrups, eh?

(romantic music)

- I wanted to do that for a long time, Mary.

- So have I, but it's silly.

- Why is it silly?

- Because we both know it's the stars

and because we've crossed half Australia together.

- I think it's more than that, Mary.

- Do you, Sinbad?

I wonder.

- Are you still in love with Jeff, Mary?

- I think so.

Missed him terribly when he went away.

- I've loved you ever since I saw you riding

out with the wagon.

- I saw you too and pretended I didn't.

(horse whinnies)

(birds squawk)

(dramatic orchestral music)

The cattle!

I'll try and stop them, you keep out of this, Sinbad.

- They're headed north.

- Yeah.

- Straight for the blasted scrub.

If they get too far in the mulga they're gone for keep.

You take the right wing and try and head 'em.

(triumphant orchestral music)

- Good on ya, Mary.

Now we got them.

(whips crack)

What do you make it, Bill

- We lost four.

- Make it three.

Mary and Jacky did a good job.

- And he's the man who didn't want women in his plant.

- What's the black horse doing down there?

- [Mary] Sinbad!

- Here, Boss!

- [Dan] Good. Hold the horses, Jacky.

(sad music)

- He's hurt bad.

I think it's a leg and this arm.

- Oh, Dad, it's all my fault.

I took the night horse.

- Oh, you should have, it was your watch.

- Poor kid.

We'll have to get him to hospital.

- And forget that mob at the back of us.

You've got to ship the cattle today.

- Yeah, I know.

The two of us will have to stay with him.

- The aeroplane!

- Good girl.

We better get him ready.

(hooves pounding)

(engine whirring)

- What do you think we ought to do Mr. Parsons.

Wait?

- No, better go while the going's good.

We don't want this young man's contraption

frightening the cattle again.

- Well, goodbye Mrs. Parsons.

Thank you very much.

- Goodbye.

(horse hooves pounding)

(engine roaring)

- What's going on, Mary?

- Sinbad's hurt!

Stop! Stop! Stop!

- Did you turn the cattle, Mary?

- Yes, Sinbad, they're all back.

- That's good.

Dan will be pleased.

I'm afraid I'm not much of a cattleman, Mary.

- You should never have tried.

- Good luck, Mrs. Parsons.

- Thanks Dan.

- Well, if I may, old girl, it's a rough road

so don't forget plenty of break on the hill.

- I'll be all right, Bill

but watch out for those cattle.

- Now don't start worrying, mother.

You know how we need the money.

Look after the little 'un.

- Goodbye, daddy.

I'll be okay.

- Righto, Nipper. Let 'em go.

- Cheerio, Sailor, you'll be all right.

Look after him, Helen.

- I do want to come with you Sinbad

but I couldn't ask Dan.

He's too short handed.

(wagon rattling)

- [Dan Voiceover] We hope they would reach

Narakuta station in time

but it would mean a hard day's driving.

They had a pedal wireless there

so they could call up the flying doctor.

Now our main job was to get the cattle onto the next water.

Two days ahead.

Cattle can't go more than three days without water.

So we had to hurry them along.

I sent Nipper ahead

with the horses to make sure that the bore was okay.

(water rushing)

When a bore goes dry on you like that,

you're in a mess.

- Did you see any surface water?

- No, not a drop, Boss.

- You're sure bore's busted?

- She busted, all right.

- Well it's no use going back

that other mob will be there.

- Nippers news it's no use going on.

- How far is it to Argadargada?

Should be water there.

- Three days, at least.

- That's not good. It's water within two days

or they'll be no mob, just a thousand stinking carcasses.

We'll have to take them over the top.

- [Bill] You'll never do it, Dan.

- What about the Alemica Road.

- They're bullocks, not goats.

- Yeah. We'll have them climbing ladders

before we're through with them.

Ah, come on Bill.

Let's give it a go.

- All right.

(horses walking)

(upbeat orchestral music)

(Sinbad groaning)

- Hang on, here's another.

Come on, come on Dolly.

- [Dan Voiceover] While the others drove the cattle

towards the old track I'd remembered,

Bill and I took our bearings.

Then we started our big gamble.

(whip cracks)

Cattle bred in the Plains are bad hill climbers

So I put Mary in front to give them a lead.

Once they start,

the one thing you must do is keep them moving.

(whip cracks)

That meant punching them up, all the way.

(whip cracks)

But if you let them turn back or bunch you'll lose the lot.

(whistling)

(whips crack)

(whips crack)

(upbeat orchestral music)

- Dan! Help!

Dan!

- What?

- There's a tree over the track.

- Right, try and hold the cattle.

Jacky, see if you can get up there with the rope.

- Okay boss.

- Oh, oh, oh, steady. Steady boy.

(horse neighing)

- [Dan Voiceover] They got the tree away just in time.

It had cost us some bullocks,

but the main mob was over the worst of it.

- There you are. Now you'll be all right.

- Kowatuma Station calling the flying doctor base.

Kowatuma station calling flying doctor base.

Over to you.

- [Doctor] I am Dr. Whitting, go ahead please.

- Drover badly injured. Fractured arm.

Injured leg. Possible injuries to the skull.

(upbeat orchestral music)

- [Dan Voiceover] We got down the other side easier

than I expected.

So Bill and I rode ahead to check the water at the

Billabong we were making for.

There was plenty in it and it looked as though

our luck had changed.

- Look out!

(water splashing)

- You know what that means?

- Yeah. It's a bog.

If you let this cattle rush this hole,

you might just as well have left them to rot

on the other side.

- Yeah.

Once saw it happened to the Katherine.

They'd been dry for three days.

Smelt the water and rushed it.

Mob behind kept pushing the leaders deeper and deeper.

In about 10 minutes,

there wasn't more than 20 bullocks in sight.

- Yeah, you can never hold them in this heat.

Only one thing to do.

That's to keep them back in the bushes until the evening.

- One good thing, anyhow.

Not enough wind to give them a smell of a water.

- [Dan Voiceover] We had bedded down the cattle in the bush

the white for the cool of the evening.

Then we planned to water them in small batches,

100 at a time, it was a stinking hot day and all

of us were dead beat,

but we daren't let them near the water yet.

After three days dry, the smell of water sends cattle mad.

(gentle music)

- Ah, rich golden brown. Might almost be beer.

(Corky coughs)

(dramatic orchestral music)

Ah, nice cool breeze.

(cattle lowing)

- They've smelt the water!

(cattle lowing)

(hooves pound)

(whip cracks)

(whip cracks)

(whips crack)

(whips crack)

(whips crack)

(whips crack)

Get back to the water as quick as you can.

(whips crack)

Look out over there!

- There's not enough of us.

Get back to the water.

(whips crack)

Hold them as long as you can, Jacky.

- Okay Boss.

(whips crack)

- Get back to the water.

(whips crack)

There's only one thing might hold them now.

We got off and face them.

- Don't you think they're too thirsty?

- We'll give it a go.

Hold the horses, Mary.

- I'll come too.

- You do as your damn well told.

Come on, Corky.

- All right, all right.

(dramatic orchestral music)

(whips crack)

(whips crack)

(cattle lowing)

- What the hell are they waiting for?

The whites of their eyes?

- Now!

(whips crack)

Jacky!

Nipper!

(whips crack)

That was close, eh?

- Yeah.

Exciting when it lasted.

- Exciting?

Blimey, did you see that dirty look that big steer gave me?

(triumphant orchestral music)

- [Dan Voiceover] That was the end of our troubles.

With good feed and water, we delivered okay

to the resting paddocks by the sea.

In 8 months we'd driven a 1,000 head of cattle

1600 miles and lost 53.

We all went to Brisbane to pick up the sailor.

He'd recovered well

and it was good to have the whole plant together again.

(uplifting orchestral music)

But city life doesn't suit us much

so we were quite glad when the send off came.

- Mind saying a few words to the camera, Mr Minister?

- Why, certainly. - Over here please.

Right?

Go ahead.

- At this moment, the largest mass migration

of cattle the world has ever known is taking place.

The government realising that Australia would be looked upon

through the wars and the peace

as one of the world's largest food reservoirs

is bringing to safety the mass herds of the north.

But the initiative of this idea

belongs to one man and his little band of helpers.

- What are your plans for the future, Mr. McAlpine?

- Well, they tell me that they drovers us up north.

I'm a drover.

So I'm going to get me another mob of cattle.

- Where can I write you, Mary?

- Oh, Wyndham will always find me.

Or Anthony's Lagoon on the next trip.

- I see.

- All passengers aboard, please.

- Well, goodbye, Mary it's been lovely knowing you.

- It's been lovely knowing you, Sinbad.

(romantic music)

- Mary! Come quickly!

Your planes going!

Bye Sinbad.

You're all covered in lipstick.

Come on, Mary.

- Best of luck with your next mob, Mr. McAlpine.

- Well if it's anything like this one,

I'll need it.

Goodbye, Sailor. Thanks.

(triumphant orchestral music)

- We've started something, hey Bill?

- My word.