White Coolies
{{Short description|1954 memoir by Betty Jeffrey}}
{{Infobox book
| italic title =
| name =White Coolies
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| author = Betty Jeffrey
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| country = Australia
| language = English
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| subject = World War Two
| genre = memoir
| publisher = Angus & Robertson
| pub_date = 1954
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White Coolies is a 1954 memoir by Australian nurse Betty Jeffrey about her experiences in World War Two.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article218355657 |title=WHITE COOLIES |newspaper=Brisbane Telegraph |location=Queensland, Australia |date=1 March 1954 |accessdate=1 June 2023 |page=11 (CITY FINAL) |via=National Library of Australia}} This included surviving the sinking of the Vyner Brook, escaping a massacre, and being in a camp on Sumatra.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248869316 |title=Girl guests of the Japs |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |volume=XV |issue=23 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=25 April 1954 |accessdate=1 June 2023 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Background
It was based on a diary she secretly kept in the camp.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110893631 |title=They also serve |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=52 |issue=15,567 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=22 April 1978 |accessdate=1 June 2023 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Reception
The book was a best seller, selling more than 70,000 copies in Australia.{{Citation
| author1=Australia. Department of Education.
| author2=Australia. Department of Education and Science.
| author3=Australia. Commonwealth Office of Education.
| title=THE BOOKS AUSTRALIANS READ
| journal=Hemisphere
| orig-date=1957
| department=Section v. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.
| issn=0018-0300
| volume=4
| issue=2
| date=February 1960
| location=North Sydney, N.S.W
| publisher=Dept. of Education and Science
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3135886198
| id=nla.obj-3135886198
| access-date=1 June 2023
| via=Trove
}}
The book was adapted into a hugely successful radio serial.
Radio serial
{{Infobox radio show
| name = White Coolies
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| runtime = 30 mins
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| country = Australia
| language = English
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| television =
| presenter =
| starring = Ruth Cracknell
June Salter
Margaret Christensen
Madge Ryan
Joan Lander
Diana Perryman
| announcer =
| creator =
| writer = Gwen Friend
| director =
| producer = Fifi Banvard
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| first_aired = 9 October 1955
| last_aired = 1956
| num_series = 1
| num_episodes = 52
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The book was adapted into a 1955 radio serial.{{cite news|newspaper=The Age Radio Supplement|date=6 October 1955|page=1|title=Army nurses' war drama as KZ serial}}
It was one of the most acclaimed Australian radio serials of all time. There was a mostly female cast and a female writer and director, which was rare for the time.{{cite book|first=Peter|last=Philp|title=Drama in silent rooms|publisher=Eureka Media|year=2016|pages=448–452}}
=Cast=
- Ruth Cracknell as Betty Jeffrey
- June Salter
- Margaret Christensen as Sister Delforce
- Madge Ryan as Matron Paschke
- Joan Lander as Sister Woodbridge
- Diana Perryman
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://archive.org/details/WhiteCoolies Complete show] at Internet Archive
Category:1955 Australian radio dramas
Category:Australian radio dramas about World War Two
{{WWII-book-stub}}