Hungry Ones, The – Nostalgia Central

1 9 6 3 (Australia)
10 x 30 minute episodes

Based on true events, this historical drama series from the Australian Broadcasting Commission begins in 1792 at London’s Newgate prison, where lawyer and biographer James Boswell (Laurie Lange) meets Mary Bryant (Fay Kelton), pictured below.

The story flashes back to 1784, where Mary meets Will Bryant (Leonard Teale) in Cornwall.

They become engaged, but he is arrested for smuggling and sentenced to be transported to Botany Bay in the new penal colony of New South Wales.

Mary commits robbery, hoping to be also sent to Botany Bay, but she is sentenced to death.

Her sentence is commuted for transportation, and during the voyage to Australia onboard the Charlotte transport vessel, Mary realises she is pregnant.

Another convict, James Martin (John Ewart), tells Surgeon White (Nigel Lovell) and Captain Gilbert (Gordon Glenwright) that Will is the father.

Though Mary is upset at James Martin, Surgeon White is supportive of Mary and Will and soon Mary has her baby and the Fleet arrives at Port Jackson in Sydney.

Will and Mary marry and Will – skilled at seamanship and fishing, learnt in his native Cornwall – is offered his freedom if he helps manage the colony’s fishing enterprise.

He is a successful fisherman, but when Governor Phillip (Edward Hepple) introduces rationing, Will starts selling fish on the side and is betrayed by an informer, John Ryan (Reg Livermore). He is flogged as punishment and the informer who turned in Will is found dead.

With the colony descending into starvation in 1790, Will and Mary make a daring escape attempt, heading over 3,000 miles to Timor in a small open longboat with their two small children and eight other male convicts.

While the party of escapees reach Timor safely, they are eventually captured and despatched back to England.

All except Mary and four men perish on the voyage (including Will Bryant and their two children).

Back in England and languishing in Newgate, Mary attracts the interest of James Boswell, who is instrumental in obtaining an unconditional pardon for her in May 1793.

Premiering on Sunday 7 July 1963, The Hungry Ones – written by Rex Rienits – was a successor to the prize-winning serials Stormy Petrel, The Outcasts and The Patriots, which were all produced by Colin Dean.

Unlike those dramas (which were all broadcast live) however, The Hungry Ones was recorded on videotape.

The series was filmed at the ABC’s Gore Hill Studios in Sydney and on location at Jervis Bay on the South Coast of NSW, where the Royal Australian Navy provided facilities, personnel and a boat.

Will Bryant
Leonard Teale
Mary Bryant/Broad
Fay Kelton
Governor/Captain Phillip
Edward Hepple
Surgeon John White
Nigel Lovell
James Martin
John Ewart
James Cox
Tony Crerar
Sam Bird
Mark McManus
William Morton
Stewart Ginn
Nathan Lilley
Chris Christensen
William Allen
Owen Weingott
John Butcher
Stan Polonski
Martha Lovelace
Brigid Lenihan
Captain Watkin Tench
John Unicomb
Robert Ross
Ronald Morse
Captain David Collins
Neil Fitzpatrick
John Butcher
Stan Polonsky
Henry Brewer
John Gray
Sergeant Magee
James Elliott
Henry Brewer
John Gray
John Freeman
David Copping
Captain Thomas Gilbert
Gordon Glenwright
James Boswell
Laurie Lange