Lucky Country

For this, to me,

is what new Australia means

to the landless,

the homeless,

to those who long to be manly,

to be true,

to be what men should be,

to live simply, to work hardly,

to win not the gold that poisons

but the home that saves,

to secure the little ones,

the rearing that is the right of everyone

brought by us into the world.

We can do it

if we only dare.

Again.

For this, to me, is what new Australia means.

Birds have been here too.

Dad.

Dad!

Are you all right?

Bloody colony.

Dad!

Stupid bloody thing.

Tie them to that,

that branch.

Only one way in there, and I don't want anyone else falling foul of it.

Oh!

Try zamba. Rub it in.

Burns, pimples, piles.

You clown.

Everything's changing.

I miss her too, Tom.

Dad, the rabbiter's here.

- Here. Take them. - Thanks.

What happened to the horse?

You going somewhere?

They're all digging for gold.

Still planning the ground, I reckon.

That's not why we came out here.

Useless bloody sack of dirt, they shatted on us.

They can have it.

It's god's land.

He'll provide.

There's no god here.

God cursed this whole bloody country for our sins.

Reckon I might pick up a bit of work on the railroad.

Connolly's railroad...

You'll do the same if you got any sense.

It's money. I know you're needing that.

Charlie.

I'm in need of a...

a few cartridges.

Here.

That's all I got till I get to town.

Good luck to you, Nat.

God be with you, Charlie.

We can't keep doing this, dad.

The rabbiter's right.

It's money we need.

God will provide.

What are we going to do without a horse?

I won't discuss it.

What about Tom?

What about me?

You've your family to think about before yourself.

A man's got to marry me in a corn sack.

Marry?

You're not marrying, girl.

You're needed here, and this is where you're staying.

It's finished, dad.

It's over.

Even mom knew.

You'll keep your mouth shut!

- Dad. - What?

What is it, little man?

You think you've got what it takes?

What are you going to do?

Nothing.

Hello?

Hello in there?

Come away from there.

Come.

What can we do for you?

We have a sick boy here.

Won't last long if we don't get some shelter for the night.

He's concerned for the boy's welfare.

Be on our way in the morning.

Go on.

Make way.

There you go, Jimmy.

Yeah.

You'll be all right, son.

Sarah,

make some tea.

What happened?

Hit him on his way up to the gold fields four days ago.

Grace of god, we found you.

He wouldn't have made it through the night.

Henry Wilson.

This is Carver.

Nat Dawn.

My son, Tom.

Daughter, Sarah.

Go help your sister.

Come.

Sit by the fire.

Warm yourselves.

Excuse me.

We'll move the boy out the back in the morning.

It'll be gone tomorrow.

Your mother always said,

"Never turn away strangers.

They might be angels in disguise."

Thank you, miss.

Very much obliged.

Some interesting items you have around the place here, Nat.

We brought a fair bit with us.

Oh, she was impressive when she first went up.

You a carpenter?

I was a teacher in London.

Been back?

You're not missing much.

Seen the boers living better in South Africa.

Is the mother...

she passed away.

A month now.

I'm sorry.

So you were in the war?

We were.

- And the boy? - Yeah.

Thought he'd come home a bloody hero.

Silly bugger.

No.

I'll check the horses.

Horses are fine.

I'll just check.

Let you swells catch up.

Don't worry about him.

Look, we could help you out a bit.

Picked up a few tricks along the way.

Return your hospitality.

I'd have to think about it.

We don't even get swaggies coming through anymore.

Endangered species.

Poor bastards.

I'm with Tom Mooney, myself.

Mooney?

Yankee. Socialist.

Every man should have a vote.

Farm and rifle.

It's what God brought us here for.

Didn't think to find anyone this far out.

I figured we'd be planting poor little Jimmy in the ground by morning.

Reckon you'd call it Providence.

Well, I guess we could do with a hand.

We don't have much.

I appreciate it. I really do.

The minute the boy's well enough to ride, we'll be on our way.

We'll earn our keep.

They're soldiers.

They're going to stay to help out.

What drives somebody to go halfway around the world

to kill people they don't even know?

Don't do that.

Come here.

Give me that.

Well, this was a pretty good knife once, eh?

Never let a blade go blunt too long.

Everything all right, Tom?

With the farm?

With your dad?

I suppose.

We're here to help you, son.

We're here to help you and your dad out.

So if there's anything you need or anything you want to tell me,

you can.

You know that, don't you?

Yeah.

Reckon you could finish this up?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Reckon you can turn your hand at just about anything, Tom.

Do you think they killed lots of boers?

It's perfectly obvious that man's a murderer.

That boy's going to die here, and we're all going to be chopped up with an ax.

Tom.

Nat, I reckon we should start again from scratch,

if that's all right with you.

You do what you think's best.

Tom and I have to check some traps.

I'd appreciate it if you stayed away from there.

You have the balls.

Tom.

Who are you?

I'm Sarah.

Love a boy back to life, is it?

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Bloody thirsty work building your locker for you.