# Jonah (TV series)

Jonah is an Australian television drama series which aired for 20 episodes starting from 15 October 1962 on the Seven Network. Produced during an era when commercial television in Australia produced few dramatic series, Jonah was a period drama, and was inspired by the success of ABC's period drama mini-series like Stormy Petrel.
Eponymous actor Brian James had been the star of Stormy Petrel. The episodes still exist.

## Premise

The National Film and Sound Archive describes the series as a "historical drama series about Jonah Locke, a merchant trader in the early Australian colony". Jonah lived in Sydney between 1840 and 1850. He would encounter historical figures.

## Regular cast

* Brian James as Jonah Locke
* Hilary Bamberger as Ann Parry, Jonah's housekeeper
* Neil Fitzpatrick as Brett Hamilton, Jonah's nephew

## Guest stars

* Brett Hamilton as Neil Fitzpatrick
* Brigid Lenihan as Kate Winslow
* Chris Christensen as Black Henry O'Brien
* Claire Dunn as The Maid
* Denis Doonan as Captain Westcote
* Donald Philps as Captain Duff
* Gwen Plumb as Lady Jane Franklin
* Henry Gilbert as The Reverend Dr.
* Joe McCormick
* John Faasen as Sir John Franklin
* Judith Arthy as Rosa
* Julianna Allan
* Liddy Clark as Pinkey
* Lionel Pearcey as Ed Curr
* Moya O'Sullivan as Pompy
* Muriel Steinbeck as Caroline Chisolm
* Noeline Brown as Dorothea Styles
* Richard Davies as Mathew Crawford
* Robert McPhee as Monahan
* Ron Haddrick as Governor

## Background

In March 1962 it was announced ATN would make the series with Michael Plant to be writer and story editor, Harry Dearth to produce and David Cahill to direct. By July the lead actors had been cast. It was shot at Artransa Park Studios. Michael Plant was the writer and script editor.
The episode cost around £3,500 each. They sold to the Australian networks for £1,500 an episode and then to Britain for £1,000 an episode. There were disputes with Actors Equity over how much the actors should be paid.

## Reception

One review called it "splendid".
The Australian Women's Weekly called it "fast, action packed entertainment".
Filmink wrote Plant "was a first-rate writer: the stories proceed logically and dramatically, scenes are focused and to the point, characters are well-rounded and their behaviour is consistent."

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Guest stars |
| 1 | "No Time for Despair" | Hans Farkash as Count Strzelecki, Ron Haddrick as Governor Gipps, Al Thomas, Owen Weingott as Stone Polonski |
| Gold is discovered in 1839, written by Michael Plant |||
| 2 | "The Wrong Hands" | Clement McCallin, Joe McCormick, Philip Ross |
| The story of Ludwig Leichardt |||
| 3 | "A Ring Around a Rosa" | Muriel Steinbeck as Caroline Chisolm, Judith Artha as Rosa |
| The story of a young immigrant girl |||
| 4 | "A Tale of Two Bees" | Colin Croft, Brigid Lenihan, John Faasen as Sir John Franklin, Gwen Plumb as Lady Jane Franklin |
| The story of Benjamin Boyd who dreamed of building his own city |||
| 5 | "Freedom for Port Phillip" | Henry Gilbert, John Llewellyn, Lionel Pearcey, Robert McPhee |
| The story of John Dunmore Lang |||
| 6 | "A Nest of Hornets" | Allan Tobin as Lin Fong, Derek Barnes as Captain Zouch |
| A clash with Chinese migrants at Lambing Flat |||
| 7 | "The Hashemy" | N/A |
| A story about the ship The Hashemy |||
| 8 | "The Man from Myall Creek" | N/A |
| 9 | "The Damned of Darlinghurst" | Al Thomas as Colonel Keck, Lyndall Barbour as Fairy Mortimer |
| Jonah spends time in Darlinghurst Prison on a matter of principle |||
| 10 | "The Treaty of South Island" | Harry Willis as Maori chief Te Rauparaha, James Condon as William Wentworth, Ron Haddrick as Governor Gipps |
| The story of the formation of New Zealand |||
| 11 | "Black Henry" | Brigid Lenihan, Chris Christensen, Richard Davies, Claire Dunn |
| A story about a man who helped fix unemployment |||
| 12 | "The Marquis of Mallabimbee [sic]" | James Condon, Keith Buckley, Bill Lewis |
| The clash between William Wentworth and Henry Parkes |||
| 13 | "The Railroader" | Wynn Roberts as Morgan, Vaughan Tracey as Jamey |
| Miles Morgan builds a railway in the Hunter Valley |||
| 14 | "The Coal Mutiny" | Tom Farley as James Brown, Moray Powell as Commodore Styles, Noeline Brown as Dorothea Styles |
| a man leads a charge against the monopoly given to the Australian Agricultural Company |||
| 15 | "Where is Adelaide?" | Donald Phillips as Captain Duff, John Barnard as William Light, John Faasen as Horton Depenn |
| A story of the planning of the city of Adelaide |||
| 16 | "The Seekers" | Tanya Haylesworth as Purity Tunstall, Alan Herbert as John Tunstall |
| Puritans arrive in Australia on their way to New Zealand |||
| 17 | "This Piece of Earth" | N/A |
| 18 | "A Plague on Both Your Houses" | Geoffrey King, Julianna Allan, Alexander Archdale, John Gregg |
| A romance between an emancipist's daughter and the son of an aristocratic gentleman |||
| 19 | "Ship of Fame" | Denis Doonan as Captain Westcote, Moya O'Sullivan as Pompy & Donald Philps as Captain Duff |
| 20 | "The Exile" | N/A |
| Series Finale |||