Fountains Beyond

Fountains Beyond is a 1942 Australian stage play by George Landen Dann. It is his best known work.[2] It was a rare play at the time to address the issues of Aboriginal Australians.[3]

Fountains Beyond
Written byGeorge Landen Dann
Characters7
Date premieredJanuary 28, 1942 (1942-01-28)
Place premieredNew Theatre, Sydney[1]
Original languageEnglish
SubjectAboriginals
Genredrama

The play was adapted for radio in 1942[4] and 1957.[5]

It was published in book form in 1944.[6]

The play was revived in 2000.[7]

Premise

English travel writer Miss Gertrude Harnett has arrives in the small Queensland town of Kooreelba. Mayoral candidate Mr Watson, organises an Aboriginal corroboree in her honour. All money raised is to go towards a new children’s playground to be built in the adjacent Aboriginal settlement. The development is part of the politician's plan to expand the town and further disposes the traditional land owners: "Civilisation advances, you know. Up till lately there's been no objection to you Abos living here. But the town is growing rapidly."

Vic Filmer, a spokesperson of the Aboriginal community, leads the battle against the development. In doing so he accidentally shoots his wife.

References
  1. Australasian Radio Relay League., "THE LITTLE THEATRES", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, Sydney: Wireless Press (Vol. 37 No. 6 (February 7, 1942)), nla.obj-725915854, retrieved 24 July 2023 – via Trove
  2. Richard Fotheringham, 'Dann, George Landen (1904–1977)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dann-george-landen-9900/text17527, published first in hardcopy 1993, accessed online 24 July 2023.
  3. Australian Broadcasting Commission. (1939), "Plays at the Air Same Light on Dark Australians", ABC Weekly, Sydney: ABC (Vol. 4 No. 36 (5 September 1942)), nla.obj-1329198805, retrieved 24 July 2023 – via Trove
  4. "ABC COMING FEATURES". Nambour Chronicle And North Coast Advertiser. No. 1995. Queensland, Australia. 4 September 1942. p. 4. Retrieved 24 July 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. Australian Broadcasting Commission. (1939), "A.B.C. Radio plays for next week", ABC Weekly, Sydney: ABC (Vol. 19 No. 28 (13 July 1957)), nla.obj-1334138258, retrieved 24 July 2023 – via Trove
  6. "Book News Radio Propaganda of Nazis". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 33, 277. New South Wales, Australia. 19 August 1944. p. 6. Retrieved 24 July 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Brisbane Festival: playing from the boundaries", Realtime., Rushcutters Bay, N.S.W: Open City Inc (40), Dec 2000 – Jan 2001 [1994], ISSN 1321-4799, nla.obj-777349261, retrieved 24 July 2023 – via Trove
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