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© 2013 Screentime Pty Ltd, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corporation
A SCREENTIME production for ABC TV
MEDIA KIT
As at 27.11.13
Catherine Lavelle Kris Way For Screentime ABC TV Publicity T 02 9405 2880 T 02 8333 3844 M 0413 885 595 M 0419 969 282 E [email protected] E [email protected]
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Honouring the Centenary of the commencement of World War One A moving new six-‐part miniseries based on true stories of
Australian and New Zealand nurses at Gallipoli and the Western Front.
Over 3,720 Australian and New Zealand nurses served overseas during World War One.
Fifty-‐six were awarded the Royal Red Cross. Two hundred and ten were awarded the Associate Red Cross. Only seven ANZAC nurses were awarded Military Medals.
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Remarkable women, doing extraordinary work in terrible times.
A Screentime, a Banijay Group company, production for ABC TV, ANZAC Girls tells of extraordinary young women who witness the brutality of war and rise to meet the challenge. Through shocking hardship they experience exceptional friendship, love, success and heartbreak.
In World War One over three and a half thousand young Australian and New Zealand women served as nurses with the two fledgling nations’ army services. Nearly three hundred were decorated for courage beyond the call of duty. Remarkable women, doing extraordinary work in terrible times.
‘Naturally enough the eyes of the world are on the firing line and sometimes the work of the nurses, from the very firing line to the hospital, is overlooked.
It was ever thus. Those who scar the tree of life, a great thinker once said,
are remembered by the scars, but those who water its roots have nothing by which they may be known.
But theirs is the tree.’
Christchurch Star, 3rd November 1915
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About The Production
With a stellar ensemble cast, ANZAC Girls stars Georgia Flood (House Husbands, Wentworth, Tangle), Antonia Prebble (White Lies, Outrageous Fortune, The Blue Rose), Laura Brent (A Few Best Men, Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader), Anna McGahan (House Husbands, Mystery of a Hansom Cab, Underbelly: Razor), and Caroline Craig (Underbelly, Dangerous Remedy, Blue Heelers). The supporting cast includes John Waters (Offspring), Dustin Clare (Spartacus), Todd Lasance (Spartacus), Rhondda Findleton (All Saints), Hannah Marshall (Packed To The Rafters), Madeleine Jevic (Upper Middle Bogan) and Charles Mayer (Ghosts Of Old Shanghai).
A six-‐part miniseries based on the book The Other ANZACS by Peter Rees, ANZAC Girls also stars recent NIDA graduates Thomas Cocquerel, Brandon McClelland and Honey Debelle, WAAPA graduate Charlotte Hazzard, as well as Sebastian Freeman and Sara West.
Drawing on the diaries, letters, photographs and historical achievements of many women who witnessed the brutality of war, ANZAC Girls honours the Centenary of World War One with the unique and rarely told history of the war through the nurses who served amidst bombing raids, poison gas and terrible disease -‐ saving lives and transforming the spirits of the soldiers.
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Executive produced by Screentime’s Des Monaghan and Greg Haddrick with the ABC’s Carole Sklan and David Ogilvy, the landmark series was written by Felicity Packard and Niki Aken, and series produced by Lisa Scott and produced by Felicity Packard.
Filmed in South Australia, and directed by Ken Cameron (Dangerous Remedy, Brides of Christ, Bangkok Hilton) and Ian Watson (Janet King, Killing Time, Love My Way), with cinematography by Geoffrey Hall (Drift, Red Dog, Chopper), ANZAC Girls was production designed by Scott Bird (as production designer -‐ Janet King and Nim’s Island 2 and Emmy Award winning art director of The Pacific), with costume design by Mariot Kerr (Drift, Red Dog, Lucky Country) and hair & makeup by Fiona Rees-‐Jones (The Rover, The Mule, December Boys).
With the creation of historically accurate features, environments and landscapes paramount to the realisation of the story, ANZAC Girls utilised the talents and expertise of Tim Crosbie and the team at Rising Sun Pictures (The Great Gatsby, The Wolverine) to create the visual effects for the series.
ABC TV Head of Fiction Carole Sklan said, “Reaching across one hundred years the story of these young women and their friendship, courage, romance and achievement touches us with a shocking immediacy. Their voices are as delightful as their story is inspiring.”
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Executive Producer Des Monaghan said, “It is a privilege to bring to the screen the story of these remarkable women who are in many ways the unsung heroes of the ANZAC story.”
ANZAC Girls was produced with the support of Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corporation. With Village Roadshow and All3Media as distributors, additional funds have been supplied by New Zealand On Air and PRIME Television New Zealand.
ABOUT SCREENTIME Screentime, a Banijay Group company, is a specialist television production company with an outstanding list of over 40 productions including Popstars and four seasons of RBT. Their award winning and celebrated dramas include six series of Underbelly, The Underbelly Files, The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant, Society Murders, Jessica, My Husband My Killer, A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne, Breakers, MDA, Crownies, Brothers In Arms and the critically acclaimed Tim Winton’s cloudstreet. The company recently completed production of Janet King for ABC TV, Fat Tony & Co for the Nine Network, the documentary series Outback Coroner for Foxtel, the 3 part series Taking On The Chocolate Frog for STUDIO and is in production of Flying Miners for ABC TV.
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… through shocking hardship formed lasting bonds of love and friendship.
ANZAC Girls is based on real events and real people -‐ Alice (Georgia Flood), Elsie (Laura Brent), Olive (Anna McGahan), Hilda (Antonia Prebble) and Grace (Caroline Craig). Like their brothers, fathers, lovers and husbands, these ANZAC Girls are our heroes. But they were also just ordinary girls – our sisters, our daughters, ourselves – looking for adventure, love, fun and friendship.
Beginning in the heady pre-‐Gallipoli days in Egypt, moving through the devastation of that campaign and the utterly unexpected casualty count, through the bitter months on the barren island of Lemnos, to the long hard years of the war in Europe and the Western Front, ANZAC Girls is personal, intimate and raw.
Our nurses’ world may be dominated by the war, by the army and by the hospitals, but they are bright, beautiful and lively young women in the prime of their lives. They have come to do their bit and serve their country, but they have also come seeking adventure and love.
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Key Cast
Sister Alice Ross King Georgia Flood
Sister Hilda Steele Antonia Prebble
Sister Elsie Cook Laura Brent
Sister Olive Haynes Anna McGahan
Matron Grace Wilson Caroline Craig
Supported by
Lieutenant Harry Moffitt Dustin Clare
Major Sydney ‘Syd’ Cook Todd Lasance
Major Xavier Leopold Charles Mayer
Colonel Thomas Fiaschi John Waters
Lieutenant Frank Smith Thomas Cocquerel
Lieutenant Norval ‘Pat’ Dooley Brandon McClelland
Sister Kit McNaughton Honey Debelle
With Guests
Matron Nellie Gould Rhondda Findleton
Sister Clarice Daley Sara West
Major John Prior Leon Ford
Sister Millicent Parker Hannah Marshall
Sister Florence Tilly Charlotte Hazzard
Sister Meg Hayes Madeleine Jevic
Major Lionel Quick Nathaniel Dean
Major Archibald Springer Brad Williams
General William Birdwood Nicholas Bell
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Key Crew
Executive Producers Des Monaghan Greg Haddrick
Series Producer Lisa Scott
Producer Felicity Packard Episodes
Directors Ken Cameron 1, 2 and 3 Ian Watson 4, 5 and 6
Writers Felicity Packard 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 Niki Aken 2, 3 and 5
Director of Photography Geoffrey Hall ACS
Production Designer Scott Bird
Costume Designer Mariot Kerr
Makeup & Hair Supervisor Fiona Rees-‐Jones
Editors Anne Carter 1, 2 and 3 Denise Haratzis 4, 5 and 6
Visual Effects Supervisor Tim Crosbie Rising Sun Pictures
Composer Bryony Marks
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Episode One
‘Adventure’ Writer Felicity Packard Director Ken Cameron
The ANZAC girls arrive in Egypt just after the outbreak of World War One and soon realise that war is not quite the “splendid adventure” they initially thought.
In Cairo 1915, Australian nurses Alice Ross-‐King (Georgia Flood), Elsie Cook (Laura Brent), Olive Haynes (Anna McGahan), Matron Grace Wilson (Caroline Craig) and New Zealander Hilda Steele (Antonia Prebble) arrive for duty in World War One.
After a brief romance with Aussie Lieutenant Frank Smith (Thomas Cocquerel), Alice and her fellow Sisters endure a baptism of fire at a Clearing Station in Port Said – their first rush of war wounds. It is during this trial that Alice catches the attention of a British Surgeon, Major Xavier Leopold (Charles Mayer). Believing that Elsie too has her sights on Frank and Xavier, Alice and Elsie’s friendship gets off to a rocky start. As it turns out, Elsie is in fact married, which disqualifies her from serving in the Australian Army Nursing Service. When this is exposed, it looks like Elsie’s tour of duty is over. However, pragmatic, persuasive Elsie convinces Principal Matron Nellie Gould (Rhondda Findleton) to let her stay on regardless.
While Alice, Elsie, Olive and Hilda have become firm friends and adjusted to rather exacting military rules and regulations, their biggest challenge begins on April 25, 1915 with the botched Gallipoli landing. Hilda cops the first wave of wounded on the Hospital Ship Sicilia, anchored mere kilometres from Anzac Cove. Back in Egypt, Alice, Elsie and Olive work tirelessly through convoy after convoy. During which Elsie faces her worst nightmare – her husband Syd Cook (Todd Lasance) arrives injured.
Amongst the carnage, Alice meets tall and thoughtful Aussie Lieutenant Harry Moffitt (Dustin Clare). They bond over poetry and philosophy and Alice finds that her coquettishness has evaporated. Frank, injured at Gallipoli, proposes to Alice; but despite Alice and Harry’s tension over politics, Alice realises that she is no longer interested in other men. Soon after, Harry sails for Gallipoli.
From heady days exploring the ancient pyramids to nursing wounds they have never before encountered in civilian work, in one way or another, the nurses of the AANS are in for a tremendous adventure.
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Episode Two
‘Duty’ Writers Niki Aken & Felicity Packard Director Ken Cameron
Overcoming intense hardship and trauma on the Greek Island of Lemnos, Olive and Grace care for the injured troops from the botched August Offensive. In Egypt, Elsie has to fight to stay at the British Hospital in Alexandria in order to save the life of her seriously wounded husband Syd.
On the barren, windswept Greek Island of Lemnos – close enough to Gallipoli to hear the boom of the artillery – Matron Grace Wilson (Caroline Craig) and her nurses arrive to no supplies and no hospital. To make matters worse, the conditions on Lemnos are barely fit for living, let alone nursing. Their Commanding Officer, Colonel Thomas Fiaschi (John Waters), is unsympathetic and hostile. If he had his way, there would be no women in a forward zone at all.
Dispirited by the state of the hospital and overwhelmed by the suffering, one by one the staff of No 3 AGH take any opportunity to get off the island. But Grace encourages her nurses to improvise wherever possible, and tasks Olive (Anna McGahan) with keeping everyone’s spirits up. Olive is determined to keep her promise, despite the toll Lemnos takes on her health and spirit. Water shortages and insanitary conditions lead to a wave of dangerous dysentery, to which she succumbs.
A bright point amongst the hardship is the visit from Kiwi nurses, including Edith “Poppy” Popplewell (Brooke Williams) and Lorna Rattray (Robyn Patterson), who spend a couple of nights on Lemnos bunked in with the Aussie Sisters. Grace is devastated to learn that her beloved brother Graeme has been killed at Gallipoli, but with a steady rush of wounded coming in she – and Olive -‐ have no choice but to soldier on.
In Egypt, with Harry (Dustin Clare) away at the Peninsula, Xavier (Charles Mayer) continues his ‘slow and steady’ approach in wooing Alice (Georgia Flood), while Elsie (Laura Brent) receives the shocking news that Syd (Todd Lasance) has been wounded at Lone Pine. With Alice’s help, Elsie gets leave to go to him at the British Hospital in Alexandria, where she has to deal with the fact that his head wound is life threatening whilst managing the obstacles of British red tape. When Syd regains consciousness, he is unable to speak and Elsie realises that, if he is to fully recover, she needs to be transferred there to “special” him. In negotiating her transfer, she antagonises the British staff, and Elsie finds she must draw on every ounce of courage, tenacity and skill she possesses if she is to save Syd’s life.
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Episode Three
‘Endurance’ Writers Felicity Packard & Niki Aken Director Ken Cameron
In Egypt, Alice and Elsie are confronted by the heart-‐wrenching reality of love during wartime, which reaches a breaking point for Elsie when she is forced to choose between her husband, Syd and her role abroad in the AANS. Whilst enduring the horrific conditions on Lemnos, Olive faces her greatest test of faith and resolve.
As the Gallipoli campaign drags on into autumn, nursing on the hospital ship for Hilda (Antonia Prebble) becomes more about illness than injury. One of the men invalided back to Cairo suffering severe typhoid is Harry (Dustin Clare). It’s a huge relief for Alice (Georgia Flood) to see him away from danger but crushing to see him so ill. While Alice desperately wants Harry to articulate his feelings, he seems strangely reticent, leading Alice to become jealous of his nurse, Sister Martin (Susie Collins). Xavier (Charles Mayer) senses that Alice is frustrated and swoops, calmly putting his case to her: marry me and there will be no more uncertainty; I will take care of you. Alice reserves her decision -‐ she has to confront Harry to square things between them. With all uncertainty at last put aside, Harry declares that he is in love with her and at Christmas they kiss under mistletoe.
On Lemnos, Olive (Anna McGahan) is doing it tougher than ever. En route to Salonika, the troop ship the New Zealand hospital is travelling on, (including her Kiwi friends, Poppy (Brooke Williams) and Lorna (Robyn Patterson), is struck by a torpedo from a German submarine. Ten nurses die in the tragedy, Lorna included. Then winter hits, and with it from Gallipoli come heart-‐breaking cases of trench foot. The waste and pointlessness of the campaign -‐ and her own misery – are almost more than even chirpy Olive can bear. But Matron Grace (Caroline Craig) helps her realise she’s allowed to admit that it’s hard. And Grace herself finally gets some acknowledgement for making order out of chaos, albeit from the unlikeliest place.
With the withdrawal from Gallipoli, Olive and Grace return to Cairo from Lemnos, as does Hilda from the hospital ship – our ANZAC girls are re-‐united. Whilst Syd (Todd Lasance) has improved markedly, Elsie (Laura Brent) realises that his best chance of full recovery is to be transferred to a convalescent hospital in England. She succeeds in wangling a transfer for him and from there he is promptly sent home to Australia to recuperate. But this is where Elsie’s run of good luck ends. She immediately volunteers for transport duty to Australia to be with her husband, but is informed that when she arrives home she will be dismissed from the Australian Army Nursing Service because she is married. It seems Elsie’s war is over.
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Episode Four
‘Love’ Writer Felicity Packard Director Ian Watson
After being seconded to a British hospital in France, the girls come face-‐to-‐face with the snobbery of the British nursing staff, inciting them to reflect on their own national identity. Meanwhile, Alice (Georgia Flood) is forced to face the emotional brutality of war as Harry (Dustin Clare) is believed to have been killed at Fromelles.
After spending days on a crowded troop train, Alice (Georgia Flood), Olive (Anna McGahan), Hilda (Antonia Prebble) and Grace (Caroline Craig) arrive in Rouen, France. The Army are yet to set up an Australian Hospital for them so the nurses are sent to work at No 11 British Stationary Hospital. Immediately Alice tries to find out if anyone knows where Harry’s (Dustin Clare) 21st Battalion is stationed. She traipses back and forth to the field post office every chance she can, but no letters.
Hilda is delighted to be so close to the “Mother Country” and at the thought of working with English nurses. But the British Ward Sister Bullus (Tiffany Lyndall-‐Knight) is scathing and strict; lots of Imperial rules and regulations that the Australian and Kiwi nurses chafe against. The beds must be made thus. The blankets folded thus. But at long last the ANZAC nurses return to No 1 Australian General Hospital. There, Alice meets Major John Prior (Leon Ford), a friend of Harry’s. Olive also finds a familiar face – Orderly Pat Dooley (Brandon McClelland) whom she met on Lemnos and who clearly fancies her, to which Olive is oblivious.
One year after the commencement of the campaign at Gallipoli, Olive, Alice and Hilda make up little parcels and carefully inscribe each with “Anzac Day 1916” which they give to all the Australian and Kiwi men serving. A sense of national identity forged for both former colonies.
Meanwhile, Grace’s superlative skills and smarts are finally recognised – but at a cost – she is sent to London to be Matron in Chief at AIF HQ. It is a huge feather in her cap and all the girls are very proud, but it is bittersweet; they will miss her and she them and it takes a wonderful nurse away from where she is needed most, especially as the battle of the Western Front begins. Hilda and Olive, seeing Alice’s spiralling tension, encourage her to join them for a picnic in the countryside. On their return they are met by Major Prior, ashen-‐faced. He tells her that Harry has been killed, in a battle near a place called Fromelles. The next day, Alice receives Harry’s very last letter.
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Episode Five
‘Mateship’ Writer Niki Aken Director Ian Watson
Alice (Georgia Flood) struggles to accept that Harry may have been killed; Hilda (Antonia Prebble) discovers an aptitude for anaesthetics; Olive (Anna McGahan) is proposed to by Pat; and Elsie (Laura Brent) returns to the war as part of the Croix Rouge.
Harry’s name has not appeared on any death lists, and Alice (Georgia Flood) cannot help holding out hope that he is somehow alive, perhaps captured by the Germans or injured and unable to say his name.
As Alice swings between hope and despair, fury and misery, increasingly reliant on prescription heroin to sleep, Hilda (Antonia Prebble) is growing worried for her grieving friend. But Hilda has her own challenges – a shortage of doctors means that a select few nurses are being trained as anaesthetists. Hilda has found something at which she excels, so when a chauvinistic army order comes down banning Australian nurses from the work, Hilda is devastated.
As the bitter winter encroaches, and Harry’s death is finally confirmed, Alice and Hilda face their darkest moments, but their friendship and loyalty sees them through – and when Hilda has the bright idea to call on her New Zealand citizenship, she is able to side-‐step the rules and go back to anaesthesia where she is needed.
Meanwhile at the Casualty Clearing Station at Trois Arbres, in between dealing with gas attacks and a stream of desperately wounded men, Olive (Anna McGahan) accepts Pat’s (Brandon McClelland) proposal of marriage, but then has to contend with dour opposition from her parents at home. Pat wants her to defy them, but Olive cannot marry without their blessing. When Pat is critically injured and her chance of happiness looks to be slipping away, Olive at last takes control of her life – she will marry him whatever her parents think!
With Pat convalescing in England, after a brief visit to her nursing pals at No 1 AGH (at which Elsie Cook (Laura Brent), now nursing with the Croix Rouge, also appears), Olive resigns from the AANS and leaves the war for a future with Pat back in Australia.
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Episode Six
‘Courage’ Writer Felicity Packard Director Ian Watson
Alice (Georgia Flood), Hilda (Antonia Prebble) and Elsie (Laura Brent) all find themselves mere kilometres from the front, the possibility of death edging ever closer, while the war seems like it will never end.
Following Olive’s (Anna McGahan) departure, Alice (Georgia Flood) and Hilda (Antonia Prebble) begin work at No 2 Australian Casualty Clearing Station, Trois Arbres. One terrible night German planes drop bomb after bomb, almost killing Alice, who carries on through raid to protect her patients and move them to safety. For her outstanding courage that night she is awarded the Military Medal, and who should turn up to the award ceremony but Major Xavier Leopold (Charles Mayer), still as in love with Alice as ever. He again proposes, but Alice quietly declines – her heart still belongs to Harry.
Meanwhile, Elsie (Laura Brent) is working at the Red Cross Hospital in Amiens, also suffering air raids, and bending rules to travel across the devastated countryside to see her beloved Syd (Todd Lasance) at the frontline. Tension between this hitherto happy couple arises as Syd wants her to leave her work and come with him to London. But as the tide of the war surges, Elsie is finding her sense of purpose and duty expanding and she remains in Amiens.
Hilda and, particularly, Alice are both showing signs of posttraumatic stress. Alice’s faith in God and Empire has been eroded, replaced instead by faith in her work and her friends. They are finally transferred back to No 1 AGH and reunited with Grace (Caroline Craig). And then Armistice and the staff of No 1 rejoice in the streets of Rouen.
We then follow postscripts over photographs of the real ANZAC Girls, outlining the rest of their lives – including Alice’s marriage to the genial Dr Sydney Appleford. But we end with the image of Alice as an old woman, gazing at the photograph of her and Harry in Egypt – a poignant reminder of the irreplaceable losses of war.
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Sister Alice Ross King
Alice is a beautiful, passionate, impetuous, insecure girl, initially wary of her fellow nurses whom she sees as rivals. Her widowed mother did not approve of her becoming a nurse and certainly did not approve of her going to war, but Alice went anyway – for duty yes, but also for the freedom it afforded her. A supremely professional and talented nurse, Alice goes to war searching for love and security, but most of
all she is searching for herself…
Georgia Flood is Sister Alice Ross King Georgia Flood is quickly becoming known in Australia and overseas as one to watch. Runner up for the 2013 Australians in Film Heath Ledger Scholarship, Georgia has made a name for herself with recurring roles on the critically acclaimed Showtime series Tangle, Nine Network's rating phenomenon House Husbands, and Wentworth, the celebrated remake of Prisoner (Cell Block H) for Fremantle Media.
Georgia's training includes study at the Paris-‐based L'Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq and master classes with Larry Moss through 16th Street Studios. She made her professional stage debut in Blackbird at the Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC), directed by Peter Evans, and also appeared in the MTC and STC seasons of Don Parties On, the sequel to David Williamson's Don's Party, under the direction of Robin Nevin.
Georgia's film credits include Laura Scrivano's short The Orchard for AFTRS, as well as the upcoming feature I Am Evangeline directed by Christine Roberts. Talented beyond her years, Georgia's commitment to the craft is evident throughout her diverse body of work.
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Sister Hilda Steele Painfully shy, Hilda has spent her life being a good girl – and a very self-‐effacing one at that. From her upper middle class background in Auckland, singing in the Presbyterian choir, to her charity work for the Children’s Mission, she has never put a foot wrong, nor has she ever put her foot down. The chaos of war is the crucible in which this meek and mild girl from Remeura is forged into a strong and confident woman.
Antonia Prebble is Sister Hilda Steele A professional actor since the age of twelve, Antonia’s debut role was in 1997 playing Mandy McFarlane, one of the leads in the television series Mirror Mirror – Series 2. Since this time she has worked prolifically, playing Jem in William Shatner's A Twist in the Tale, followed by the lead role of Trudy in The Tribe from 1998 to 2003, and then roles in three separate series of Power Rangers, initially playing Krista in Dino Thunder, then voicing Nova Ranger in Space Patrol Delta and finally playing Clare (core cast) in Mystic Force.
From 2005 – 2010 Antonia performed as Loretta West (core cast) in the award winning series Outrageous Fortune. During this time she also appeared in Interrogation, The Lost Children and as one of the core cast in Jandals Away. Antonia then went on to have roles in the telemovie Spies and Lies and The Almighty Johnsons. Last year Antonia played the lead role of Rebecca in the recently released White Lies, as well as leading roles in the feature films Timeslow, The Cure and Medicine Woman (all due for release 2013) and guest starred in the telefeature The Woman's Vote. She also took on two presenting roles, first for the travel show My Kinda Place and next for the television series Smokefree Rockquest. She played the leading role of Jane in the series called The Blue Rose, due for release in 2013.
Further to her screen work, Antonia’s theatre credits include The Glass Menagerie (2013) for Auckland Theatre Company, She Stoops to Conquer (2009), The Vagina Monologues (2010), Cabaret (2010-‐2011) and Station to Station (2009 and 2011). With many previous award nominations, in 2008 Antonia won the Best Supporting Actress award at the NZ Film and Television Awards for her work on Outrageous Fortune. She was also nominated for Best Actress in the TV Guide People’s Choice Awards, also for her work on Outrageous Fortune, in both 2005 and 2011. Antonia has completed a two-‐year acting course studying the Stanford Meisner technique in New Zealand (2005-‐2007) and has also studied acting with Philippe Gaulier at his school in Paris (2007) and with Larry Singer at his studio in New York (2008). She also speaks French studying the language at university.
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Sister Elsie Cook It is Sydney’s society wedding of the year when Elsie Sheppard marries former Australian Prime Minister Sir Joseph Cook’s son Syd, just days before both sail for Egypt and war. So hiding her rule-‐breaking marriage from the chauvinist army authorities is the first of many challenges Elsie faces. But when the secret comes out and she is staring down dismissal, this kind, conventional, polite, middle-‐class girl unexpectedly stands her ground, and
becomes the only openly married nurse in the AANS.
Laura Brent is Sister Elsie Cook After graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Laura worked on HBO’s The Pacific, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. She then went on to work with some of Australia’s leading actors in the Malthouse production of Tartuffe and played Ophelia against Brendan Cowell's Hamlet in Bell Shakespeare’s production at the Sydney Opera House.
She worked with Rob Carlton in the comedy series Chandon Pictures, and was directed by Michael Apted in the Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Her other credits include Burning Man, Wildboys, Legend of the Seeker (U.S), Rescue Special Ops, Not Suitable for Children and Australian/British comedy A Few Best Men with Olivia Newton John.
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Sister Olive Haynes For lively, confident Adelaide girl Olive, going to war is both an adventure and a welcome duty. Truth be told, it is also a way of defying her loving but rather straight-‐laced clergyman father – as was becoming a nurse in the first place. Olive is a self-‐appointed “tonic” to the other nurses, always ready with a cheeky comment and an ironic take on whatever situation of hardship and bureaucratic idiocy she and her fellows face. But will the harshness of war
wear even this nurse down?
Anna McGahan is Sister Olive Haynes Since graduating from QUT in 2010, Anna McGahan has amassed impressive stage and screen credits including a guest lead role on the Nine Network television series Rescue Special Ops. Anna moved directly onto the role of Portia in Queensland’s La Boite’s Theatre Company’s production of Julius Caesar in Brisbane. At the same time Anna filmed a recurring guest lead role of Penelope in the Southern Star/FOXTEL series Spirited (Series 2) in Sydney. Anna secured the series co-‐lead role of Nellie Cameron in Nine Network’s highly successful Underbelly: Razor. Anna followed this up with a guest lead role on Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries for ABC TV.
Anna then starred in the role of Sophie opposite Damon Herriman and Angus Sampson in Cyan Film’s feature film 100 Bloody Acres before filming a guest role in ABC TV’s telemovie Mystery Of A Hansom Cab. Anna has just completed two seasons of the highly successful Nine Network television series HOUSE Husbands in the lead role of Lucy as well as finding time to star in the role of Clara in the world premiere tour of Queensland Theatre Company and Black Swan Theatre Company’s production of Managing Carmen.
Anna’s other theatrical credits include I Feel Awful (Creative Development -‐ QTC/The Black Lung 2010), Maguire’s Punt (Metro Arts Creative Development), Keep Everything You Love (B.A.T) and Our Country’s Good (UQ) as well as the QUT plays Blood Wedding, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cymbeline and The Seagull. Anna has received both the Inside Film: Out of the Box Award and the prestigious Heath Ledger Scholarship in 2012 for the exceptional quality of her performances. Anna is also a talented playwright, and has been a recipient of Queensland Theatre Company’s Young Playwright’s Award in 2009 and 2010.
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Matron Grace Wilson A career nurse before the term was ever coined, modest, unassuming Grace serves as Matron first in Cairo, then at No 3 Australian Stationary Hospital on Lemnos Island. An exceptional leader, compassionate to her nurses as well as to the wounded, Grace is attractive, kind-‐hearted and popular, inspiring loyalty from all who work with her -‐ even when she has to make and carry out some very tough decisions.
Caroline Craig is Matron Grace Wilson Caroline graduated from NIDA in 1999 and has since worked solidly in theatre and television. It was her role as Tess Gallagher on Blue Heelers, which made her a household name. Most recently Caroline has appeared in Dangerous Remedy (ABC) and Rescue Special Ops. She also has appeared in the Channel Nine award winning miniseries Underbelly, playing the hard-‐hitting policewoman Jacqui James. As well as acting, Caroline narrated the entire series and has since moved on to narrate series 2, 3 and 4, Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities, Underbelly: The Golden Mile, Underbelly: Razor and Underbelly: Squizzy, Other television credits include the ABC miniseries Bastard Boys, Orange Roughies and The Heartbreak Tour.
Caroline’s theatre credits include Loot for the Sydney Theatre Company, Yes Prime Minister, Stainless Steel Rat for Harrison Productions, Pictures Of Bright Lights for Little Ones Theatre, Speaking In Tongues for Griffin Theatre Company, The Sweetest Thing for Belvoir St Downstairs Theatre, Between Us for the Ensemble Theatre Company, Pig Iron People and Bed for Sydney Theatre Company, Love Song and Hitchcock Blonde for Melbourne Theatre Company, Babes In The Woods and Falling Petals for Playbox, Optimism for Malthouse Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company and Twelfth Night for Bell Shakespeare.
Caroline is also an accomplished director. She recently directed The Coming World for Darlinghurst Theatre and S27 for the Griffin Theatre Company.
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Lieutenant Harry Moffitt
Reader of Omar Khayyam, an atheist and a patriot, Harry is also an accountant looking to the 20th Century as the time when Australia will become a truly modern, independent nation. The only son of a small town draper, Harry is interested in politics, in poetry, in philosophy… and he also believes in being the change you want to see which is why he has volunteered for the AIF. What he is not expecting is to meet in Cairo a beautiful, bright young nurse called Alice, who
both admires and challenges him.
Dustin Clare is Lieutenant Harry Moffitt Dustin Clare has most recently been seen as Gannicus alongside John Hannah and Lucy Lawless in the Starz series Spartacus: War of the Damned. He has also starred in Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and Spartacus: Vengeance.
Dustin began his career with guest roles in the leading Australian television series McLeod’s Daughters, before becoming a series regular in the popular television drama and winning a TV Week Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent. He went on to star in the Showtime series Satisfaction for which he received a second TV Week Logie Award nomination for Most Outstanding Actor and a Golden Nymph Award nomination for Most Outstanding Actor at the 49th Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco. Dustin also appeared as Chris Flannery in the Nine Network’s critically acclaimed second series of Underbelly.
He made his feature debut opposite Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis in Fred Schepisi’s The Eye of the Storm, which premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival and screened in Special Presentation at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Dustin has also appeared in Mark Lamprell’s musical feature Goddess, opposite Ronan Keating, Laura Michelle Kelly and Magda Szubanski.
Dustin will next be seen in Michelle Joy Lloyd’s feature Sunday for which he is also a co-‐writer and producer. Dustin graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2004.
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Major Sydney ‘Syd’ Cook
Son of a former Prime Minister, Syd is well bred and well spoken. An engineer by trade, he wanted nothing more than to marry his sweetheart Elsie, start a family and live a solid, respectable life. But he is as orthodox a British Empire boy as any, so when war was declared, he never considered not enlisting… Affable, easy-‐going, well liked by his men, Syd is a good leader and quickly promoted from his initial rank of 2nd lieutenant. He is as in love with Elsie as she is with him, but as the conflict drags on into the
dark years of the Western Front and he repeatedly faces the killing fields of the Somme, Syd’s genial nature
– and his marriage – face their greatest test. Todd Lasance is Major Syd Cook With his recent portrayal of Julius Caesar in Spartacus: War of the Damned receiving international acclaim, Todd Lasance has forged his place as one of Australia's leading actors.
His outstanding list of credits includes the roles of Peter Mickelberg in Channel Nine’s The Great Mint Swindle, Kiddo in Screentime’s Brothers In Arms, Ben McMahon in the ABC1 drama Crownies and the cavalier daredevil Cam Jackson in the third season of Rescue Special Ops. Previously Todd also appeared as a lead in Screentime's telemovie Underbelly Files: Tell Them Lucifer Was Here, and his outstanding depiction of Quick Lamb in the critically acclaimed screen realisation of Tim Winton’s cloudstreet, led to a 2012 AACTA Award nomination for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama.
Nominated for the 2011 IF Out of the Box Award, Todd received the 2009 Most Popular Actor in a Television Series TV Week Silver Logie Award for his role as Aden in Home & Away. Todd's other television credits include McLeod's Daughters, Blue Water High and Blackjack -‐ Ghost.
On film, Todd appeared in the US feature Fool’s Gold, starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.
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Major Xavier Lodge
Xavier is the son of a vicar from the Lake District. A caring and competent doctor with a successful general practice in London, Xavier has been too busy for love and had no time to think of marriage – at least that is what he has told himself. Now, approaching fifty, he has resigned to being a life-‐long bachelor. And then, all in a flurry, England is at war with Germany, he has joined up and found himself in Cairo, working with the Australian Imperial Forces. And that is when he meets the
luminously beautiful, sensual, vibrant Australian nurse, Alice Ross King.
Charles Mayer is Major Xavier Leopold An English actor, Charles Mayer trained at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London after serving eleven years as an officer in the British Army.
After appearing in BBC1's Spooks and Hotel Babylon, and in the West End in Daniel Kramer's Bent, he worked in Shanghai for four years in Chinese and English-‐speaking film, with credits including Ghosts of Old Shanghai, Ip Man 2 and Shanghai Calling, as well as television hosting, television drama, theatre and cabaret.
Charles moved to Australia with his Adelaide-‐born wife in 2012, and has since performed in the one man show I Am My Own Wife at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, and plays Father Kingston Fox in the new television series Sam Fox: Extreme Adventures.
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Colonel Thomas Fiaschi Born in Italy to an Italian father and English mother, tall and handsome 62-‐year-‐old Thomas Fiaschi is a dignified and imposing figure. He’s quick-‐tempered, rigid in his discipline, exacting in his standards -‐ but he never asks anything of an underling he isn’t prepared to offer himself. Conventional in his notions about the place of women in war, the Colonel doesn’t welcome having a unit of nurses “foisted” on him by the army -‐ as if life on Lemnos wasn’t hard enough! He is a complex, deep thinking man, as well as being of wide culture, well read in both the general and
medical literature of Italy and France. John Waters is Colonel Fiaschi John Waters is one of Australia’s most pre-‐eminent and awarded leading actors throughout film, television, and theatre.
John’s theatre credits span across many productions in Australia and the UK including lead roles in productions such as Hair (Harry Miller Productions), They’re Playing Our Song (JC Williamsons), A Little Night Music (STC), Jesus Christ Superstar (Harry Miller Productions), The Sound of Music (Gordon Frost), Oliver! (Cameron Mackintosh), Rocky Horror Picture Show (New Theatricals), self-‐written Looking Through a Glass Onion (Theatre Royal) which played for six months on London’s West End and most recently as ‘Gomez’ in The Addams Family.
John’s television work is equally extensive from guest lead roles in Underbelly, to his recurring roles on Network 7’s All Saints for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama at the 2006 Australian Film Institute Awards and Southern Star’s Offspring, currently in it’s fourth season as well as his iconic 20 year involvement with Play School. His credits also include City Homicide (Seven Network), The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (ABC TV), The Man From Snowy River (Pro Films), Singapore Sling (Barron Films), All The Rivers Run (Crawford Productions), Rush (ABC TV) and Division 4 (Crawford Productions) for which he was awarded the TV Week Logie for Best New Talent in 1975.
John also boasts an impressive film resume including titles such as Stealth, The Sugar Factory, High Country, Breaker Morant, Eliza Frazer and Pino Amenta’s Boulevard of Broken Dreams for which he was awarded the Australian Film Institute’s Best Actor. Most recently John appeared in a lead role in Return to Nim’s Island. John is also an accomplished musician having released a number of recorded albums and EPs, adding to his illustrious career.
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Lieutenant Norval “Pat” Dooley
The son of two teachers, Pat had not finished his Melbourne University law degree when war was declared so was not eligible for the Officer Corps. Joining regardless, Pat enlisted as an orderly with the Medical Corps. Though he is quiet and unassuming, he is also quick-‐witted so it is not long before Pat’s intelligence and capacities are recognised and he is selected for Officer training. Which would be fine except he had just taken all
his courage and declared his feelings to the gorgeous, sassy, utterly terrifying Sister Olive Haynes.
Brandon McClelland is Lieutenant Pat Dooley Graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 2012, Brandon has recently completed filming on the sequel to the critically acclaimed feature film The Devils’ Playground, directed by Rachel Ward and Tony Krawitz. Return To Devil’s Playground also stars Toni Collette, Jack Thompson and Simon Burke.
Whilst at NIDA, he appeared in a number of theatre productions including The Farm, Loot, The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot, Richard III and Faust playing the title character.
In 2013, Brandon was involved in the Sydney Theatre Company’s workshop for The Laramie Project.
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Lieutenant Frank Smith
Frank Smith’s left his job as an auctioneer in rural NSW to join up. Frank is a pretty conventional bloke -‐ he believes there’s an evolutionary hierarchy that sees the white middle class western male at the top of the pile. While not a deep thinker or a deep questioner, Frank’s good-‐looking, friendly, affable, charming -‐ the sort of chap a nice girl could take home to meet her mother. He’s not been much challenged in his life so far and his apparent
confidence and conventionality masks a deeper uncertainty about the world and his place in it.
Thomas Cocquerel is Lieutenant Frank Smith A graduate of NIDA in 2012, Tom Cocquerel has since completed roles in the highly anticipated Playmaker Media production Love Child for the Nine Network and the short film Walk Right In directed by D’Arby Deck for Azoeliz Productions. Most recently Tom filmed the feature film Kidnapping of Freddy Heineken starring Sir Anthony Hopkins which was shot in Brussels.
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Sister Catherine “Kit” McNaughton
From Little River in Victoria, Kit is just a tad dissimilar to most of her fellow nurses. Being a Catholic in a predominantly Protestant group means she sees the world just a little differently to her pals. Not that she is devout; indeed, as the war drags on, Kit becomes increasingly cynical of the world and frustrated with the army and its chauvinistic MOs. Kit is forthright, confident and up for a challenge (which sees her volunteer for the hardship of Lemnos Island). She is also enduring –
serving for the entire war. Honey Debelle is Kit McNaughton Honey Debelle graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 2012.
In the first half of 2013 Honey was cast in her debut television role, playing Mary, in the much-‐anticipated ABC telemovie Carlotta, alongside former NIDA alumni, Jessica Marais. Carlotta is directed by Samantha Lang and will be broadcast in early 2014.
Also in 2013, Honey appeared in the music video for Wes Carr’s new single for Buffalo Tales titled Amsterdam.
Whilst at NIDA, Honey notably played the roles of Cissy Franks in Punk Rock and also Gertrude Twine in Rookery Nook, showcasing her impressive versatility and stage presence.
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Des Monaghan Executive Producer Des Monaghan is one of Australia’s leading and multi-‐award winning Executive Producers.
Formerly Controller of Programming and subsequently Director of Program and Production for Television New Zealand (TVNZ) Networks 1 and 2, in the late 1980s, Monaghan set up South Pacific Pictures Limited before being appointed Network Director of Production and Program Development for the Seven Network in Australia.
Forming Screentime in 1996 with Bob Campbell, the television production company is a member of the Banijay Group and has operations in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. With productions in all
genres including telemovies, miniseries, long form drama, comedy, serial drama and infotainment/reality, Screentime also produces formats, which are owned by the group in over 40 countries.
Screentime has produced many of Australia’s most celebrated dramas with Monaghan as Executive Producer, with recent productions including the Underbelly franchise, the critically acclaimed Tim Winton’s cloudstreet for Showtime Australia, Crownies for ABC TV, Tricky Business for the Nine Network, Brothers In Arms for Network TEN, Underbelly: Badness and Underbelly: Squizzy for the NINE Network.
The company has most recently completed production on the miniseries Janet King for ABC TV and Fat Tony & Co for the NINE Network.
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Greg Haddrick Executive Producer With multiple awards to his credit, Greg Haddrick is one of Australia’s leading writer/producers. Writer of the first block of Home & Away, his early credits also include co-‐writing and script-‐editing Elly & Jools and writing for E-‐Street, GP, Blue Heelers and Flying Doctors.
Group Executive Director and Head of Drama for Screentime, a member of the Banijay Group, Haddrick’s credits include The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant, MDA for the ABC, The Society Murders and The Informant for Network TEN, Jessica, My Husband My Killer and The Potato Factory.
Haddrick produced the first series of Underbelly, as well as writing episodes 4, 6 and 10. He also produced Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities in addition to writing episode 8 and executive produced Underbelly: The Golden Mile, writing episodes 3 and 13. He is the producer of Tim Winton’s cloudstreet (with Brenda Pam), and executive produced the Underbelly Telemovies and Underbelly: Razor for the Nine Network and Crownies for ABC TV. Most recently Haddrick executive produced Brothers In Arms for Network TEN and Underbelly: Badness for the Nine Network.
Haddrick is executive producer of Underbelly: Squizzy for Nine, as well as writer of episodes 1 and 7 and executive producer for Janet King for ABC TV and executive producer of Fat Tony & Co for the NINE Network.
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Lisa Scott Series Producer With an extensive career Lisa Scott’s production credits include Water Rats, Always Greener, The Cut, A Model Daughter: The Killing of Caroline Byrne, Cops LAC, Crownies and most recently Janet King for ABC TV.
A graduate of AFTRS in Television Production, Lisa initially worked at ABC TV on some of the ABC's highest rating television shows including Media Watch, Police Rescue, Joh’s Jury and the critically acclaimed Bordertown.
Since then Lisa has worked with all the major networks as a Line Producer, before being appointed Project Manager with the Film Finance
Corporation. In 2006, Lisa became the Head of Literary at the RGM Artist Group where she represented some of Australia’s most awarded Writers, Directors and Cinematographers.
In 2008 Lisa returned to her long-‐standing love of production. Having trained as a registered nurse and having worked in the Emergency Department of Sydney’s St. Vincent’s Hospital before making the transition to film and television in 1988, ANZAC Girls will see Lisa come full circle to combine her knowledge in both areas.
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Felicity Packard Producer Writer -‐ Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 6
A screenwriter, producer and academic, Felicity Packard is one of the writers behind the Underbelly true-‐crime drama franchise: Underbelly; Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities; Underbelly: The Golden Mile; Underbelly: Razor; Underbelly: Badness, and Underbelly: Squizzy. In 2008 she won the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award (screenwriting) for episode 7 of Underbelly (series 1), Wise Monkeys. She also has won four Australian Writers’ Guild Awards for Underbelly, Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities and Underbelly: Badness. She has written for many other TV shows, including MDA, GP, Blue Heelers and Home & Away.
A part-‐time lecturer in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Canberra, Felicity teaches across a range of creative writing related
subjects including screenwriting, prose writing and Literary Studies.
Felicity's great prose loves are Jane Austen, Ursula le Guin and Ronald Hugh Morrieson, and her screenwriting idols are William Goldman, Stephen Poliakoff, Joss Whedon and David Chase. She is currently undertaking her PhD about genre, research and screenwriting. Niki Aken Writer -‐ Episodes 2, 3 & 5
A screenwriter and Script Development Executive at Screentime, Niki Aken is an AWGIE Award winning writer.
After working as a script assistant for Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, Niki moved into research and was the principal researcher on Underbelly: The Golden Mile, Underbelly: Razor and Underbelly: Badness. In 2012 Niki wrote her first television screenplay Troubleshooting for Underbelly: Badness as well as the series finale, Strike Force Tuno. The Underbelly: Badness writing team received the 2013 AWGIE Award for Best Original Mini-‐series.
Niki has also written and produced a 15-‐minute short film Poppy which screened at Flickerfest, the
St Kilda Film Festival and the Canberra Short Film Festival.
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Ken Cameron Director – Episodes 1, 2 & 3 Ken Cameron has written and directed some of Australia’s most iconic television series and films over a career spanning four decades and including Monkey Grip, Bangkok Hilton, Brides of Christ and Joh’s Jury. Ken’s recent directing work includes the telemovie Dangerous Remedy, written by Kris Wylde. He is currently directing a block of the second series of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries for the ABC.
Ken directed Nicole Kidman in Bangkok Hilton, which won three TV Week Logie Awards including Most Popular Miniseries/Telemovie, and aired in the UK on BBC and in the USA on CNN Cable television. In
1991 he directed the ABC miniseries Brides Of Christ starring Naomi Watts, which won the AFI Award for Best Television Mini Series and five TV Week Logie Awards including Most Outstanding Miniseries/Telemovie and Most Popular Miniseries/Telemovie. He directed the two part series My Brother Jack starring Jack Thompson and Claudia Karvan, which aired on Network Ten in 2001 and won two AFI awards including Best Telefeature/Miniseries. In 1994, Ken directed Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All for Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) starring Diane Lane and Donald Sutherland.
Ken directed the dramatised documentaries Joh’s Jury and Police Crop both of which explored controversial government corruption cases of the time. For the American Broadcasting Company Ken directed Miracle at Midnight starring Mia Farrow and Sam Waterson, and Dalva which starred Farrah Fawcett. Other telemovies include Halifax fp, The Clean Machine and Crime Of The Decade. Ken wrote and directed the feature film Monkey Grip, adapted from Helen Garner’s novel, for which he won the AWGIE for Best Screenplay Adaption. He was writer/director for the 1982 feature film Fast Talking which received four AFI Award nominations including Best Screenplay and Best Director and the 1982 Australian Film Critics’ Circle Award for Best Australian Film. Ken directed Rachel Ward, Bryan Brown and Sam Neill in the 1987 feature film The Good Wife.
Recently Ken directed four episodes and was the set up director for the Showtime television series Satisfaction. Ken set up and directed Underbelly series 2 and has been a regular director on Australian television series including Wild Boys, Offspring, The Strip, The Alice, MDA, Stingers, Stringer (UK co production), White Collar Blue, Wildside, Police Rescue and Special Squad.
Ken has written three novels; The Provenance Of Madame Rey, Lost In France and Eddie Pike In Paris Or The Lost Picasso and is also a script editor for feature films.
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Ian Watson Director – Episodes 4, 5 & 6 Ian Watson has been directing for over thirty years. As a theatre director his credits include productions for the Melbourne and Adelaide State Theatre Companies, the Griffin Theatre Company, the Hunter Valley Theatre Company, the Victorian College of the Arts and the National Institute of Dramatic Art. His extensive television credits include Heartbreak High, The Secret Life of Us, Seachange, Wildside, the US science fiction series Farscape, White Collar Blue, Blackjack, All Saints, Tripping Over, East of Everything, the multi award winning Love My Way, the six-‐part miniseries Carla Cametti PD a six part miniseries for SBS, Satisfaction, Packed To The Rafters, Wicked Love: The Maria Korp Story,
Rescue Special Ops, Killing Time, Dance Academy, Underbelly: Badness and most recently Janet King for ABC TV and House Husbands. Ian’s work has been nominated for three AFI awards (The Wayne Manifesto – Best Episode in a Children’s Series, Seachange – Best Episode in a Drama Series and White Colour Blue – Best Episode in a Drama Series (two episodes). He was the inaugural winner of the Australian Directors Guild (ADG) Award for Best Direction in a Television Miniseries for his work on the Australian/UK production Tripping Over. Ian was again nominated in the same category in 2009 for the miniseries Carla Cametti PD and again in 2013 for Underbelly: Badness.
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Geoffrey Hall ACS Director of Photography Geoffrey Hall has earned a formidable reputation as one of Australia’s great cinematographers – his work in all film genres, drama, TVCs, documentary and music videos, earning accolades and awards both here in Australia and overseas.
His work on the much lauded feature film Chopper, launched an international career, which has to date, seen Geoff filming in the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia. He has the ability to take a director’s visual
intentions and render them with a verve and clarity that is breathtaking. His images stay with you for years. Fiona Rees-‐Jones Makeup & Hair Supervisor Having worked in the industry for thirty years, Fiona has worked in all media genres, particularly film and television. Winner of Best Makeup for a Feature Film at the Australian Society of Makeup Artists Awards in 2000, Fiona has worked on television projects including Time of our Lives, Beaconsfield, Rush, Offspring and McLeod’s Daughters.
Fiona has worked on Australian and international projects, most recently including David Michôd’s futuristic western The Rover, starring Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce, and Angus Sampson’s The Mule, starring Hugo Weaving. Other feature films include The Boys are Back starring Clive Owen, December Boys starring Daniel Radcliffe, Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge and Shine.
Fiona’s journey through film has been driven by the storytelling process through visual media and acting as an adjunct to the actors involved.
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Scott Bird Production Designer Recipient of a 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction in a Miniseries or Movie for the internationally celebrated miniseries The Pacific, Scott is one of Australia’s most celebrated set designers and art directors.
Showcasing his talent on many Australian and International film and Televisions productions,
Scott’s credits as designer include the film Nim’s Island II and for television Neighbours, Blue Heelers, Col’n Carpenter, Supernova, Wedlocked, and All Saints, As Art Director, Subterano the miniseries On The Beach and the worldwide cult hit and multi-‐award winning sci-‐fi series Farscape Seasons 3 and 4.
Expanding an already stellar portfolio, Scott art directed the television miniseries The Mystery of Natalie Wood, as well as Love Bites, Dynasty and The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant, which won multiple awards in Australia and overseas, including the 2005 AFI Award for Best Telefeature or Miniseries and 2006 TV Week Silver Logie Award for Most Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie. His further credits as Art Director include, Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, Rescue Special Ops, Underbelly: The Golden Mile, Cops LAC, Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, Underbelly: Razor which won the 2012 Australian Production Design Guild Award for Best Design in a Television Drama. Returning to the Production Design role on Tricky Business, he most recently worked on Screentime’s legal thriller Janet King for ABC TV.
Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and studying Film and Television Design at AFTRS, Scott started in the industry as a staff designer at Channel 9 in Melbourne, working on game and variety shows such as Hey Hey It’s Saturday and Sale of the Century. Scott also designed sports presentation sets, live events, news presentation sets and advertisements for the in house production company. Between 1989 and 1991 Scott completed a postgraduate Diploma in Museum Studies at Victoria University Rusden, before working in London for twelve months at English Heritage and Gunnersbury Park Museum, specialising in exhibitions.
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Mariot Kerr Costume Designer Mariot Kerr is a costume designer who has been working in the Australian Film Industry for over fifteen years.
Mariot studied Fashion Design and Costume History in Paris, and on her return to Australia in 1994 she established her design business. In 1995 Mariot was offered a position as a pattern cutter and costume maker for Shine. She quickly realised that although she loved designing fashion, her passion lay in film with its opportunity for character development through collaboration with directors, production designers and actors.
Since then Mariot’s work has focused on films, and she has been part of the costume department for feature films such as Australian Rules, Look Both Ways, Black and White, Wolf Creek and Oranges & Sunshine.
Her design credits include coming of age story December Boys with Daniel Radcliffe and Jack Thompson, suburban thriller Beautiful, starring Peta Wilson and Tahyna Tozzi, USA/Australian co-‐production Broken Hill with Alexa Vega and Timothy Hutton, period drama Lucky Country, for which she received an AFI Nomination for Best Costume Design and Red Dog, awarded the honour of Best Film at the Inaugural AACTA Awards 2012.
Her most recent film project is the recently released 70’s Surf Feature Drift, starring Sam Worthington and Xavier Samuels. Tim Crosbie Visual Effects Supervisor An Emmy and VES awards nominee, Tim Crosbie has been a part of the Rising Sun Pictures team for over twelve years, supervising a range of complex visual effects projects in-‐house and on-‐set. Tim made his mark on the visual effects industry on the world stage; constantly pushing the boundaries of what artists and technology can create. He was an integral part of the original team responsible for the Academy Award winning Visual Effects on The Matrix and What Dreams May Come, as well as leading the compositing team on Final Fantasy. At Rising Sun Pictures, Tim has supervised work on productions including The Wolverine The Great Gatsby, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Prometheus, Superman Returns, The Lord Of The Rings -‐ The Return of the King and Batman Begins, as well as being on-‐set supervisor for The Pacific and The Way Back.
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Everlasting Bonds Forged in War What became of these ANZAC Girls after the war to end all wars?
Elsie Cook Elsie Cook and her husband Syd moved back to Australia, where Syd became Commonwealth Works Director, first in Perth, and then in Sydney. It is here that Elsie raised their son and then opened and ran a successful antique business. She was involved in charity work with the Wesleyan Church, particularly in support of women fallen on hard times. Olive Haynes Olive Haynes married Pat Dooley before the end of the war. Pat became a successful lawyer and together they had seven children, one of whom had Down’s Syndrome. Refusing to shut her child away “out of sight, out of mind,” Olive helped establish a special school for children with Down’s Syndrome. When World War II broke out, Pat re-‐enlisted and Olive worked for the Red Cross. Hilda Steele Hilda Steele continued her studies, training in London as a masseuse. She returned to New Zaealand, married and had a daughter – but the marriage broke down after only a year. She was Sister-‐in-‐Charge and Matron at hospitals in Auckland and Nelson, then worked in TB clinics that became the forerunner of the New Zealand District Nursing Service. Grace Wilson Grace became Matron-‐in-‐Chief of the Australian Army Nursing Reserve, and served in the Middle East in World War II. She was President of the Royal Victorian College of Nursing, three times president of the Returned Nurses’ Club, a trustee of the Shrine of Remembrance, and in 1953 was made a life member of the Returned Sailors’, Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia. At the age of 74, Grace Wilson finally did something entirely for herself. She fell in love and married. Alice Ross King Alice Ross King and Dr Sydney Appleford married in August 1919. They ran a busy medical practice in rural Victoria and had four children. During World War II, Alice was commissioned a Major serving at home with responsibilities for over 2000 servicewomen. An award in her name is presented annually to a serving member of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps. For the rest of her life, she spent every July 19th alone, remembering the other life the Great War took away.
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Harry’s last letter to Alice written on 14 July 1916 received the day after she was advised he had been killed in action:
Dearest Heart of Mine
We are right in the thick of it all again.
This afternoon we had a severe bombardment but as you can see I am quite fit. All is over now and I’ll have to get away as I have lots to do.
If only I could have one little kiss & one hug, how happy I would be. Ruins are on every hand & the magnificent growth of poppies and cornflowers make a wonderful contrast to the surrounding scene of desolation.
The trenches are a great improvement to those at Gallipoli but the work darling, is long. I seem to be going day and night. I get down for a moment and then I am called up.
I love you long & dearly love of mine. So think longingly of me, & dream that I am as you know I am in your waking moments.
Ever yr sweetheart Harry
