AustLit

Advertised as a drama of the Kelly Gang.

From a contemporary review:

'The story opens, as so many Australian stories do, in England, where Charlie Roberts is falsely accused of defalcations to the amount of £300. His only punishment is dismissal. He is in love with the manager's daughter, Maud, and they part from one another with much feeling, though the representation of emotion is not among the writer's strong points. He goes to Sydney and finds that Australia is not so empty as she seems, and that there are more than enough applicants for every vacancy. At last he secures a place as roustabout at 10s. a week–which is his first step towards fortune and Maud. "Caloola"' is the name of the station, and one of the very first things Charlie does is to fall in love with the daughter of the station owner, Hilda Dwyer.

'In the meantime Maud is courted in England by Sir Rupert Baron, who has her father in his grasp. As a matter of fact, it was Maud's father who was responsible for the missing £300. For what particular reason Maud was introduced at ail is not clear, for, after hating Sir Rupert for a few pages, she finds she loves him after all and wonders what she shall wear for the wedding–about as weak an arrangement as one can imagine.

'Meanwhile things have been happening in Australia. Charlie has a fight with the overseer, Ferris, and, of course, according to immemorial precedent, beats him badly. Hilda is overtaken by a bush fire and Charlie brings off a picturesque rescue. She is captured by blacks and the invincible Charlie saves her again. Mr. and Mrs. Dwyer have little else to do than act as a chorus to applaud Charlie, who comfortably elects to forget Maud, who has forgotten him. He marries Hilda and the story ends.'

Source:

'On an Australian Station', Western Mail, 24 September 1910, p.50.

Likely to appeal only to those who are easily catered for, [a] husband and wife, and a couple of villains, together with one or two minor characters, fill up the stage, and with plots, and counterplots, and misunderstandings, the tale is dragged out to the bitter end; the villains are properly disposed of to the satisfaction of the most sensational melodrama-loving reader, and the hero and heroine live, we hope, very happily ever after (9 July 1910, p.13).