The Native Born is an Australian play written by

Bert Bailey Albert Edward Bailey (11 June 1868 – 30 March 1953), better known as Bert Bailey, was a New Zealand-born Australian playwright, theatrical manager and stage and screen actor best known for playing Dad Rudd, in both mediums, the character from ...

and Edmund Duggan under the name of Albert Edmunds. It was first produced in 1913 by Bailey's own company.

Synopsis

The plot is set in the region near

Mount Kosciuszko Mount Kosciuszko ( ; ; Ngarigo: ) is the highest mountain of the mainland Australia, at above sea level. It is located on the Main Range of the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park, a part of the Australian Alps National Parks and ...

during the early days of European settlement of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

. Neal Blackmore, a land speculator, discovers a gold deposit on the property owned by selector John Hillgrove and tries to get his hands on it. Blackmore desires Lily Armidale, who is in love with Hillgrove's son Jack - who is loved in turn by Blackmore's sister, Alma. The Blackmores henchman Solly Steele uses a loaded whip to kill an old fossicker called Kosciusko Joe, who also knows about the gold deposit, and frames Jack Hillgrove for the murder. Comic relief is provided by Miss Cruikshank, Lily's man-hating maiden aunt; a magician called Charles Spinnifex (who falls for Hillgrove's daughter Cissie) and his assistant Willie Staggers; and a Scottish policeman. During one scene, Spinnifex's magic abilities allow Jack to escape the villains; in another, they enable the heroes to play upon the superstitions of the Blackmore henchman, Barcoo. The climax involves Jack rescuing Lily from Blackmore's henchmen during a snow storm.

Background

The play was written by August 1912. It was inspired by the success of the author's earlier ''The Squatter's Daughter'' and ''The Man from Outback''.

Reception

The Hobart ''Mercury'' said "the play is a very original work, with a well sustained plot and a pretty love story." The ''Sydney Morning Herald'' said "comedy, smart dialogue, and dramatic effect are judiciously interwoven." They play was popular, although not as much as Bailey and Duggan's earlier collaboration, ''

On Our Selection ''On Our Selection'' (1899) is a series of stories written by Australian author Steele Rudd, the pen name of Arthur Hoey Davis, in the late 1890s, featuring the characters Dad and Dave Rudd. The original edition of the book was illustrated by ...

''.Bert Bailey
at Live Performance Hall of Fame

Original cast

as Charles Spinnifex *Alfreda Bevan as Miss Cruikshank *Mary Marlow as Lily Armidale *George Treloar as Neal Blackmore *Lilias Adoson as Alma Blackmore * Edmund Duggan as John Hillgrove *Alred Harford as Constable Finegan *Guy Hastings as Jack Hillgrove *Laura Roberts as Cisse Hillgrove * Fred MacDonald as Willie Staggers *George Kensington as Solly Steele *Arthur Betram as Kosciusko Joe *J K Lennon as Barcoo

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Native Born 1913 plays 1910s Australian plays Plays set in New South Wales Plays by Bert Bailey