Chapter 1
Many citizens of the Australian inland city of Black Creek were fascinated by the family feuding that threaten Australia's hugely popular TV show, The Settlers, now into filming in the Black Creek district of the second 12-part series.
The Settlers was the first drama series to be produced by local broadcasting company Bee-Creek Radio and TV, owned by the wealthy mining family, the Hinton's, whose forebears established in the area during the years of the short-lived gold rush of 1848.
The current family head, Rupert Hinton, chairman of the company, had just announced that the current series would be pulled unless the contracted film production company Aussie Moving Pictures Ltd, ordered that the male lead Harry McPhee be written out of the series by suffering a fatal snake bite and Rupert's nephew and supporting lead Bart (Bartholomew) Hinton would emerge as the new leading man.
Russ (Russell) Knight, speaking on behalf of the backers of the series, of which Dry Country Breweries owned by the Knight family was the largest single investor, warned in the Black Creek Mail newspaper that that TV pleasure of millions of viewers of the series that was throughout most of Australia as well as in several other countries, was being compromised by the crazy interference by the Hinton's and it was likely to resurrect the old claim that water diviner Joseph Hinton had founded the settlement and not Casey Knight.
Russ said The Settlers was emerging as one of the most successful TV services produced in Australia. Series 1 had screened in 37 countries. With the second series underway, TV stations/networks in 58 counties had signed up for the epic show. He appealed to the city not to allow Ruby Hinton (the nickname referring to Mr Hinton's overly red face) from threatening to scupper The Settlers.
Exercising restraint, Rupert Hinton was quoted in next morning's newspaper as saying the time had come to settle the festering feuding between the two families once and for all. The first step was to reliably settle the claim of who founded the city. The black water creek, after which the town was named, was contaminated by a leaching coal seam during the underground section of the creek flowing under high hills.
"The history of the Black Creek community of the past, the present and for the benefit of countless generations to come, requires that the research be conducted with absolute transparency so that the population can be satisfied the true founder of the city had been established. Optimistically, I'm confident that that name will be Hinton."
Mary Knight, reading those comments to husband Russ, who in the outside shower by the swimming pool cursed.
"Here we go again, more feuding. I bet that statement by Ruby who's, only half-literate, was composed for him by his wife Professor Julie Hinton and I bet Ruby has only one testicle."
Russ sighed and told his wife to ease back on her malicious comments.
Mary said sharply, "Do you really think anyone can feud without insults and fuelling the squabble with foul rumours?"
"How could you know he has fewer than two nuts Mary unless you're been naughty with him?"
"Go bite your bum and apologise to me, you nasty man. Your extended family will expect you to deal with this upset heroically and to keep your mind above your fucking belt. And stop insulting your wife."
She threw the newspaper at him but of course the shower door was closed.
When dressed, Russ called the manager of Radio Hinton and said he wished to make a statement to the community at 9:00 next morning.
Tom Hinton said, "I'm sorry Russ but I've received orders from Rupert to ban you from this station and that applies also to your legal mouthpieces."
Russ didn't bother replying.
He attempted to enter the radio station building at 8:40 next morning but was blocked from entering by two security guards armed with batons.
Big Russ (he was 6ft 4 with a huge beer belly) said, walking away, "You'll regret this, boys."
That threat was overheard and rumour swept the town.
An hour later Russ surrounded by ten guys carrying rifles marched down Access Avenue and the gathering crowd on both sides of the main thoroughfare watched in silence.
The security guards at the radio station saw what was coming and slammed the steel door shut and bolted it.
Russ and his crew stood clear while one of his men ran forward and planted a small explosive charge against the lock. He darted back and the twin doors were blown into the lobby.
Russ and two of his armed men entered the building while the other guys held back the crowd, holding ups their guns skywards and looking menacing
Russ told the perspiring manager, "I'm here to make that broadcast in lieu of your 10 am news bulletin, Tom. If I'm refused or my broadcast is interfered with in any way, in the pursuit of justice my men will ransack your premises but none of you will be harmed except those two security guys but I'll deal with them personally."
"All right Mr Knight. Come this way Mr Knight and I'll personally supervise your broadcast and instruct staff accordingly."
Russ announced on air that the stupid stance by Ruby Hinton meant the old feud between the two families was on the cusp of breaking out again.
"By taking this stance and interfering with the filming of the second series of The Settlers, Ruby is staring in the face of financial ruin. I will sue him for breach of contract and I'm thinking of claiming $60 million in respect of my maliciously wasted investment and marketing benefits sounds about right and I'll finance any member of the cast who wishes to join in a class action to recover potential loss of earnings and other claims of damage."
"Furthermore, financial claims from more than scores of foreign TV companies who already have screened Series 1 or are screening it now and who have prepared for and promoted the upcoming screening of Series 2, which now in the final stages of filming and with the post-production activity well underway."
"Ruby I say this: I'm calling for a truce. You join with me to ask Chief Judge Ronald Collins to seek and appoint a leading researcher with the qualifications to establish who founded our city. That expert must have absolutely no connection with the Hinton and Knight families and must be a person who appears incorruptible."
"Ruby it's now over to you to accept my offer or perish financially. You're basically not a bad guy and we've occasionally had a beer together. Just do the right thing Ruby. My men are holding this station under gunpoint to prevent the cops piling in to stop me broadcasting. Ring Tom Hinton within the next 10 minutes with your answer that will be broadcast. Meanwhile I'll yack on about what I like about The Settlers series."
Three minutes later Tom took a call and put it live on radio.
"Tom this is your uncle Rupert. Big Belly Knight has accepted my initiative to reach final settlement of the feuding of our two families over generations about who founded the settlement of Black Creek. He has agreed to withdraw his interference with my control of the castings and the script of the show."
"I hereby unreservedly withdraw my threat to shut down the filming of The Settlers Series 2 so long as Russ' undertakings remain in place. Russ, I respect you for your initiative and your sincerity to try to settle our feud. That's all."
Vehicle horns began blaring and people cheered throughout of the city, bringing out people, who hadn't listened to the pirate broadcast, wondering if the State or Federal Government had been taken over by a battalions of Greenies, or some sort of national disaster had occurred such as Australian losing the latest Ashes cricket test in the series against England.
Russ was arrested by the police for creating a massive public disturbance and for illegally permitting the use of explosives within the city's boundaries and damaging private property.
* * *
At the remote film-set camp in South Australia, Bart Hinton was congratulated by the film director attached to the film unit from Melbourne for having a sensible father with leadership qualities.
Leslie Adams kissed him and said she was off to talk to the producer about a script re-write in the second series to provide for the introduction of a Knight female to emerge as a co-leading lady fighting for dominance.
Bart said, "Jesus, that's brilliant Leslie. You talk to Bert and if he and the writers agree then you talk to Faye (the leading lady). I'm off to Sydney to talk to the character you might just think is ideal for the role."
"Who, Claire Knight?"
"Yeah."
"Bart, I'm telling you that will be a waste of time. She of all Knight's hates your guts the most. But go ahead, have you time of being abused. I'll rearrange schedules; you have 48 hours to be back here."
"Oh, come on sweetie."
