The Dirtwater Dynasty

'This is the land of my childhood. The oldest land on earth. The place of endless summer and soaring skies. This is Australia. The Outback. A harsh and unforgiving land. I can look back on it now across the track of 80 years and still remember what it was like. Standing on the very edge of a new frontier. Nature seemed much grander then, the stars are closer, the sun is hotter, the rivers wider and in my minds eye I can see all of us, moving through this giant landscape like a strange nomadic tribe. We were the drovers, the prospectors, squatters, and shearers. We were bushmen, simple men. The shape of our lives hammered out by drought and fire. All except for one. The outback could never forge him. He forged the outback. Tonight I want to tell you about the only man who ever tamed this land. Richard Eastwick. From out of nowhere he built an empire, yet like any man who tries to write his will across the sky, he paid the price'

I am so glad to see that The Dirtwater Dynasty has been released on DVD. This is the sad part - it is only out in PAL format, and I have NTSC. I don't suppose someone has been so nice as to dub it into the NTSC format? This is such a great mini-series, and a terrible loss to folks in the U.S. who won't get to watch it. It would be so nice if one of the independent networks would pick it up. After all, we can purchase "A Town Like Alice", which is another good one. Hugo Weaving is strong in his portrayal, that it is a shame it isn't better known outside of Australia. Oh well, I have waited a long time to purchase this mini-series. I guess a few more years won't make that big a difference. Something this powerful never leaves your mind, and the music you can never forget.

I first watched "The Dirtwater Dynasty" on Channel 7 with my father. We were both glued to the TV. I was really upset for the fact that I didn't tape it. However, my cousin had taped it and I remember one time watching it over and over again. My dad and I LOVED IT so much. After my dad had a stroke he lost a lot of his speech, but I remember my dad saying to me "Eastwick" and I knew he was talking about this mini-series... I so much want to buy a copy of "The Dirtwater Dynasty" on VHS or DVD for my father. I have called the Australian Television Association and requested numerous times to play it on TV so that I could record it, but I've had no luck.

I wish it was for sale!!! A must see mini-series.

I watched this epic when it was first released on Aussie TV. I was 18. I watched it again this week and enjoyed it even more. THis drama is well written, the cinematography is simply stunning and the talent is fabulous.

Hugo Weaving plays a magnificent portrayal of a man who's life long quest to build an empire in the Australia Outback.

Living in the Central West and well not really that far from Nevertire where the story is based, I understand the trials and tribulations of life in the bush.

Steve Jacobs by far is my favourite in this film.

I could watch this over and over. There are no special features, no fan fare or special effects. The film relies sole on a wonderful story and fantastic actors.

I highly recommend this to anyone!

To everyone (including my Mum) who SO desperately wanted to see this released on DVD: the 3-disc box set came out on 16th June 2005.

Dirtwater Dynasty" is the story of embittered rivalry, triumph and despair. The life of Richard Eastwick is told in a story spanning three generations and eight decades. Born in the London slums in 1878, he comes to Australia at age 20, with nothing but a handful of courage and a dream. He acquires land, marries and raises a family, wins loyal friends and makes bitter enemies, and builds a land and cattle ranching empire. Both world wars and the economic depression take their toll on his family. But his dream to create a dynasty gives him a reason to continue. Released: Friday, 17 June 2005 Actors: Hugo Weaving Ernie Dingo Peter Phelps Bruce Spence Aust/Foreign: Australian Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 16:9 Enhanced Transfer Format: Widescreen Category: TV Series Region: 4 Year: 1988 Distributor: Roadshow Rating: M15+ Languages: English Subtitles: English - HI Running Time: 450 mins

It's PAL, so US fans might have trouble. The RRP is AUS$44.95 and should be available from anywhere you'd normally buy DVDs.