The Leaving of Liverpool (1992) (TV)

Director:

Michael Jenkins

Writers:

John Alsop (written by)
Sue Smith (written by)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

A poignant and forceful saga which traces the fortunes of two English children uprooted from their beloved Liverpool dockside to the alien environment of Australia in the years following World War Two. |

Plot Keywords:

WWII | Orphan | Self Inflicted Injury | Displaced Children | Self Injury

Awards:

5 wins

Cast

Kevin Knapman	...	Bert (as Kevin Jones)
Christine Tremarco	...	Lily
Frances Barber	...	Ellen, Lily's mother
John Hargreaves	...	Harry
Bill Hunter	...	Father O'Neill
Martin Jacobs	...	Brother Matthew
Frank Whitten	...	Brother Jerome
David Kaff	...	Wilson
Darren Yap	...	David
Pamela Rabe	...	Mrs. Lang
Colin Moody	...	Mr. Symonds
Gary Henshaw	...	Alf
Walter Brown	...	Bishop
Jai Kemp	...	Bonesy
Peter Braunstein	...	Country Doctor

Runtime:

180 min

Country:

UK | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Lidcombe, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Britain's shame

'The Leaving of Liverpool' brings into the open one of the UK's greatest shames of how young children, orphans or those who had the misfortune to hail from lower class homes, were snatched from all that they knew and loved to be transported to far-flung countries such as Australia, Canada and South Africa. This was not a government-sanctioned crime of the Victorian era but happened between the late Forties right up until the relatively recent Sixties.

This BBC TV drama follows the plight of twelve-year-old sweethearts Bert and Lily and their young friends as they are wrenched from their native Liverpool and transported to lead harsh new lives in Australia, a country so hot and unfamiliar to children who had never been outside their own city before let alone travelled to a foreign country.

The film highlights not only the abusive treatment the children endure but how the long boat journey itself was treacherous. It also shows how many of these children were lied to with officials telling them their very much alive-and-well parents were dead. The excellent quality of the child actors involve allows the audience to feel an emotional connection to them and empathise with the cruelties they suffer from those who were meant to care for them.

The only quibble I have is why this excellent drama is neither available to own on DVD nor aired more on TV as it's a shame that more people are not aware of it. It's also sad these now grown children's plight hasn't been publicised more.