by Anne Lucas

This scene is a fine example of the production values that made the series so visually pleasing. The river port of Echuca had hardly changed in a hundred years when the film crew arrived in 1983 but in terms of industry and population, it was a shadow of its former self. Art director Ted Stolfo and wardrobe designer Clare Griffin had a massive job recreating the bustle and excitement of what was, at the end of the nineteenth century, the largest and busiest town on the Murray River.

Director George Miller ensures their efforts are not wasted. Note the crane shot that begins with a long pan across the main street and rises to reveal the wharf and river; a difficult set-up, excellently realised, and what is known in the business as ‘the money shot’. Bruce Rowland’s award-winning original score is heard at its best when fully orchestrated, as in this sequence. Also worth noting is the clever plotting that combines Delie’s first sight of the Murray with her introduction to Brenton: man and river are destined to become part of the very fabric of her life.