The Shiralee is the debut full-length novel by D'Arcy Niland published in 1955.Austlit - The Shiralee by D'Arcy Niland It was adapted into a movie in 1957 and a mini series in 1987.
Plot The swagman Macauley takes his young daughter Buster on the road with him.
Reception It sold more than 90,000 copies in Australia.
Australian newspaper The Argus called it a "great Australian novel".
The New York Times called it a "fine story" which Niland "told well... Mr Niland's approach is honest as it is refreshing... one wants to hear more from him"."Dinkum Cobbers: THE SHIRALEE. By D'Arcy Niland. 250 pp. New York. William Sloane Associates. $3.50." Cobb, Jane. New York Times 25 Sep 1955: BR32
Adaptations Film rights were sold in 1955 for a reported £10,000.
In 1957 a British film was made by Ealing Studios, directed by Leslie Norman and starred Peter Finch.
A second adaptation was made in 1987. It was an Australian TV film directed by George Ogilvie, starring Bryan Brown and Noni Hazelhurst.
A stage adaptation was made by Kate Mulvany for the Sydney Theatre Company in 2025.
Notes Dedication: This book is for my Mother / Barbara Lucy Niland Epigraph: Consists of an extract from a poem 'The Ballad of the Shiralee', by Ruth Park.
References
External links The Shiralee at Darcyniland.com