Reference and Guides Section

AUSTRALIAN FILM 1900-1977, Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper - buy this at Amazon.co.uk
The idea for the second book below came from this one. It's basically listings of casts, plots and reviews for films from 1900 to 1977. Slightly less polished than the book below. You'll have to look in second hand shops for this one as it's well out of print.

AUSTRALIAN FILM 1978-1994, Scott Murray
A listing of films made in Australia in the time period, using credits, partial cast lists and film reviews. The book also has plenty of good pictures, and is a fascinating read just to watch the progress of the careers of some of the people that were in Prisoner. Possibly out of print or hard to get in Britain, but should be available from Amazon in America.

NEW ZEALAND FILM, 1912-1995 - buy this at Amazon.co.uk
A similar book to the one above but this time dealing with New Zealand films and trying to be comprehensive. Many of the Prisoner actors and actresses came from or worked in New Zealand so there are plenty of spottings to be had here.

AUSTRALIA ON THE SMALL SCREEN 1970-1995 - buy this at Amazon.co.uk
A companion volume to the book 'Australian Film 1978-1994', but this time dealing with TV Movies and Miniseries. Otherwise it is styled in the same way. This may be more available - I even found a copy in my local bookshop!

AUSTRALIAN FILM INDEX - A GUIDE TO AUSTRALIAN FEATURE FILMS SINCE 1900, Sandra Hall - buy this at Amazon.co.uk
Nothing more than listings of titles, actors, directors etc with cast lists and lists of films worked on. It does however have listings of nominations and winners of the Australian Film Industry (AFI) Awards from 1976-1992, many of the nominees including actors and actresses from Prisoner.

AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF AUSTRALIAN FILM, John Stewart
Biographies of actors and actresses in Australian films, with lists of films they've appeared in and loads of pictures. Probably out of print now, and only deals with the period up to 1984.

GET THE PICTURE - ESSENTIAL DATA ON AUSTRALIAN FILM, TELEVISION AND VIDEO, Australian Film Commission
A strange little book this, basically just lists of what things have been released where, what channels they were shown on, who's got the rights etc, but fascinating to see what you've missed that has appeared in your country.

COMPANION TO THEATRE IN AUSTRALIA, Philip Parsons
A weighty great tome, with small biographies of many familiar people. Some of the more thespy PCBHers are included here, but many of our favourite who you would think would be aren't.

THE DICTIONARY OF PERFORMING ARTS IN AUSTRALIA Volume 1, Ann Atkinson, Linsay Knight, Margaret McPhee
Another set of biographies with much the same people!

JANE CAMPION: INTERVIEWS (Interviews With Filmmakers Series) - buy this at Amazon.co.uk

JANE CAMPION's THE PIANO, Harriet Margolis - buy this at Amazon.co.uk