Pastures of the Blue Crane facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Hesba Fay Brinsmead |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Annette Macarthur-Onslow |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
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Publication date
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1964 |
Pastures of the Blue Crane is an Australian novel by Hesba Fay Brinsmead, published in 1964. The novel won the Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers in 1965. It was adapted for television in 1969. It has recently been reprinted due to renewed interest by University of Queensland Press in 2018.
Synopsis
The story opens in Melbourne, where Amaryllis Merewether, aged 16, is told her father has died and that she is to inherit his farm on the North coast of New South Wales. There is a catch; the co-heir is the grandfather she never knew she had. The snooty schoolgirl and the ramshackle old pensioner are clearly at odds, yet both are curious about the farm and agree to take the train together and visit their property.
The pair are captivated by the beautiful, almost tropical landscape, and soon its luxuriance begins to work its magic on lonely, isolated Ryl and tetchy Dusty. Too young for university, and with nothing else to do in the meantime, Ryl renovates the old farmhouse and makes of it the first real home she has ever had. She makes new friends, including the mysterious taxi driver, Perry. To her astonishment, she finds relatives her father never told her about ... and discovers why he kept them hidden.
Television
| Pastures of the Blue Crane | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Eleanor Witcombe |
| Directed by | Tom Jeffrey |
| Starring | Jeanie Drynan Harold Hopkins Harry Lawrence, Queenie Ashton, Peter McPhie, Arthur Toar, Shiela Kennelly |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 5 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Brett Porter |
| Running time | 30 mins |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC Television |
| Original release | 1969 |
The book was adapted for television by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 1969. It has just recently (August, 2018) been reproduced on DVD for sale by ABC Library Sales after a resurgence in public interest.
It was the most expensive production from the ABC drama department since My Brother Jack in 1964, although the budget did not stretch to colour. Shooting took place in Sydney, Murwillumbah, Terranora, Coolangatta and Brisbane. The house featuring in the television series is named "Lovat Brae" and was built by Thomas Fraser in 1904 and still exists today.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
| Jeanie Drynan | Amaryllis Mreweather |
| Harold Hopkins | |
| Harry Lawrence | Grandpa Mereweather |
| Queenie Ashton | |
| Peter McPhee | |
| Arthur Toar | |
| Sheila Kennelly | Rose |
- Fan page https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofPasturesoftheBlueCrane/
