Acknowledgement

Our producers and creative team acknowledge the country's Traditional Owners and Custodians throughout Victoria, Australia and Internationally in recognition of their continuing connection to the land, waters, and culture. We respect the First Peoples language groups, communities, and Elders past, present, and emerging across Victoria, Australia and internationally with strict Indigenous protocol in recreating historical story content.

MagicLands

Two Hearts, One Chance

Based on a true story from the interview with Mrs. Mary Clarke, 1979, Framlingham Mission.

Genre: Period Drama, MA 15+

Scripted (Development-Pr-Production)

Story-Line: In 1800s Australia, a British convict on the run and a Indigenous woman fall in love, but as gunslinging settlers encroach to grab the land, their lives are torn apart in a silent war of survival.

Historical and Cultural Significance

The film is a true depiction of different points of view, both Indigenous and Settlers, meticulously developed, researched, and interviewed over nine years with the permission/ consent and collaboration of First Nations communities across Victoria and Tasmania. It aims to be an authentic portrayal of history which will help create further social and moral awareness of Australian and First Nations history and culture.

Further Information: "MagicLands" is a captivating period drama based on a true events and characters set in the wilds of early 1800s Southern Australia that explores the bloodline of Purra, a gifted Wadawurrung musician and resistance fighter, and Buckley, an escaped British convict who lived among the Wadawurrung People for 32 years before colonisers arrived to seize land and create the settlements of Geelong and Melbourne, then later State Of Victoria.

PRODUCTION PROTOCOL

1. To respect and acknowledge the past through true strory-telling, to make a better future for reconciliation and equality.

2. To respect, protect, educate, and build social and moral awareness around Indigenous culture and Australian history.

3. To protect and gain consent/permissions from communities, traditional owners, and elders around indigenous culture, oral stories, characters, costumes, language artefacts etc., shown in film productions. 

4. Collaborate with Indigenous communities where the story’s subject content is located and create infrastructure, employment, and business opportunities.

Based from a true story by Mrs. Mary Clarke, 1979, Framlingham Mission, in the book titled ‘Untold Stories’, by Jan Critchett, 1994.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Buckley, William (1780-1856), Convict, Wadawurrung Elder, Interpreter for the Batman Family and Commander of the Natives for British Government when settlements of Geelong and Melbourne were built. 

Purra (Purranmurnin) Tallawurnin (1803-1869), Wadawurrung Resistance Fighter and Elder from the Buninyong People near Ballarat. A musician and healer who survived up until 1869, found in a journal at Framingham Mission.

Murrindanuck (1799 to 1840s), Murrangurk’s grandson, Wadawurrung Resistance Fighter from the Monmart People. Grew up with Buckley when he was taken in as family by the Monmart People, Murrangurks clan. 

John Pascoe Fawkner ( 1792-1869), First Settler at Melbourne, Publican, Businessman and Politician of early Melbourne.

Henry Batman (1803-1839), Brother of John Batman, Mass-Murderer. First Policeman and Land Commissioner of Melbourne.

John Batman (1801-1839), Grazier and British bounty hunter from Van Diemen’s Land. Instigator of the Port Phillip Association and Land Treaty where his organisation stole land early in Western Victoria before British Government arrived.

Nannymoon (Unkown birth and death), Wadawurrung Resistance Fighter, Buckley’s enemy, Bloodline marriage to Purra.

Corillara (unknown birth and death), Wadawurrung Elder, Shape-shifter, medicine woman from the Yawangi People that becomes an adopted Grandmother of Purra. 

Elizabeth Callaghan/Batman (1802-1852), Escaped convict, Wife of John Batman who had five different names, eight children all by early 30s.

Warrora (Pigeon), From Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Pigeon was employed by  John Batman in 1829. He was part of the Black Wars in Van Diemens Land and the Batman Treaty with Wurundjeri Elders.

Caroline Newcomb (1812- 1874), Governess of the Batman children. Bisexual woman who lives with Anne Drysdale (1792-1853) in early Geelong, managing a 10,000-acre squatter run. 

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES and LANGUAGES

Victoria/ Australia: Wathaurong/ Wadawurrung, Eastern Maar, Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung, Boon Wurrung, Eastern Maar, Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, and Taungurung.

English in British, Scottish, Irish, and European accents.