The Overlanders. Dora Birtles ( Film Tie-In Hardback) 1946 VINTAGE

 THE OVERLANDERS by Dora Birtles.

This book was inspired by the Ealing Studios film of the same name, which was written and directed by Harry Watt. All characters are fictional and there is no intended reference to any living person.

Two years ago a British film director, Harry Watt, arrived in Australia with a suitcase, a mandate from Michael Balcon of ealing Studios to make any picture he liked, and a telegram of co-operation from the Australian Prime Minister. After five months of prospecting for a suitable story he began work on THE OVERLANDERS.

When a Jap invasion seemed inevitable Australia's main defence lay in her vast distances and a rigid application of the policy of "scorched earth"  The Northern Territory, largest undeveloped region in the world, had to be evacuated. at first it seemed that the cattle must be slaughtered, but one of the cattle drovers, Dan Mcalpine, insisted that hr could drive them overland to safety, 1,000 head of cattle to be driven the distance from London to Moscow - and with the drought season already started!

THE OVERLANDERS is the story of the trek across 2,000 miles of some of the toughest country in the world. Whether the film is looked upon as an epic of human endeavour;or as an account of simple ordinary people living, working and falling in love; or as an action story packed with thrills and suspense, it succeeds magnificently, and incidentally creates three new stars "Chips" Rafferty, Daphne Campbell and John Nugent Hayward.

A VINTAGE FILM TIE-IN hardback with 196 pages, including 48 pages of photographs. Published in 1946 by World Film Publications