Blood on the Wattle explained

Blood on the Wattle
Premiere:	1947
Orig Lang:	English
Subject:	Eureka Stockade
Genre:	historical

Blood on the Wattle is an Australian play by Les Haylen about the Eureka Rebellion.^{[1] [2]}

Haylen, who was an MP, started writing the play in 1944.^[3]

In 1946 it was announced the film rights to the play had been purchased and the movie would be made. However at the same time Ealing Studios announced plans to make its own version of the Eureka story and only that film eventuated.^[4]

The play was published in 1948, with a foreword by Prime Minister Ben Chifley.^{[5] [6] [7]} The book was attacked in Parliament by Liberal MP Howard Beale.^[8] Haylen wrote a long preface for the play in the style of George Bernard Shaw.^[9]

According to Leslie Rees, "Haylen’s chief merits are his dialogue, which has bite, colour, and swiftness, and can be acrid or humorous... and his etching of little characters. But the catalogue is too long; the cast numbers nearly sixty. Haylen is waylaid and confused by all these minor people. Hence, despite the strong feelings that everywhere pervade the play, he fails to come readily to grips with the main issues of the Eureka affair. He keeps on introducing new people instead of developing those already there.... Haylen’s play is good enough reading but would make uncertain playing."^[10] The play was never produced but because of Haylen's reputation and the fact it was published it had an impact.

Notes and References

1. News: Labor’s most versatile scribe—Les Haylen . . XLIII . 2269 . Victoria, Australia . 19 October 1950 . 29 August 2023 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
2. R. E. Northey, 'Haylen, Leslie Clement (Les) (1898–1977)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/haylen-leslie-clement-les-10466/text18565, published first in hardcopy 1996, accessed online 29 August 2023.
3. News: EUREKA STOCKADE. . . 60 . 18,167 . Western Australia . 30 September 1944 . 29 August 2023 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
4. News: Eureka Stockade to be Doubly Filmed . . XLII . 21861 . New South Wales, Australia . 4 November 1946 . 29 August 2023 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
5. News: Play Of Eureka Stockade . . 91 . 28166 . South Australia . 15 January 1949 . 29 August 2023 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
6. News: M.P's FINE BOOK ON EUREKA STOCKADE . . 3063 . New South Wales, Australia . 3 October 1948 . 29 August 2023 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
7. News: 18 September 1948 . New Books Reviewed . 6 . . 22,255 . Victoria, Australia . 29 August 2023 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: Eureka Stockade 'drooling myth' . . 51 . 7,911 . South Australia . 11 December 1948 . 29 August 2023 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
9. News: Book Reviews . . LXXXI . 4862 . Victoria, Australia . 30 September 1948 . 29 August 2023 . 10 . National Library of Australia.
10. Book: Rees, Leslie. 103–104. Towards An Australian Drama. 1953.