AustLit

A romantic and historical musical set at the foot of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Collits' Inn was described in the Age as a 'Sensational Triumph... universally acclaimed as one of the greatest ever productions ever staged in Australia' (26 December 1933, p.12).

The story revolves around Mary Collits (the daughter of the inn's proprietor, Pierce Collits), who falls in love with Captain John Lake, the commander of a gang of convicts and soldiers building a road across the mountains. The situation is complicated by Robert Keane, a hard-done-by bushranger, who is himself in love with Mary. Keane is supported by Mary's father, who not only shares a similar hatred of the red-coated soldiers, but is also under an obligation to the bushranger. The story culminates in a duel between the two suitors, leaving Keane to die a noble death in a 'fair fight'. The love affair is put on hold, however, when Lake is recalled to England and Mary's memory of him is erased through an accident. When the hero returns three years later to claim his true love, her memory is restored amidst great rejoicing and happily-ever-afters.