Under Capricorn is a 1937 historical novel by Helen Simpson. The story is set in Sydney in the then colony of New South Wales in the 1830s, at the time when many of the convicts had completed their sentences and were becoming prosperous citizens in a new country. The streets, the sounds, the smells, the convict gangs, the English officials and their wives, the rum traders, speculators and adventurers are realistically described. The book opens at the time of the arrival of the new Governor, Sir Richard Bourke. Bourke's supposed sixth cousin, Mr. Charles Adare, an Irish aristocrat, had accompanied him to Sydney. Adare is out to make his fortune and is not particular about how he does it. Along the way he falls in love with the daughter of a retired prison hangman, a "currency lass," i.e.
Adaptations (2)
Under Capricorn has been adapted 2 times, across film and miniseries, from 1949 to 1984.
Under Capricorn1949 · film · 117 min · dir. Alfred Hitchcock · IMDb ↗A British ex-convict in colonial Australia and his fragile wife, haunted by the past crime that binds them, struggle to rebuild their lives when a young newcomer stirs long-buried passions and secrets.
Under Capricorn1984 · miniseries · IMDb ↗IMDb7.1Helen Simpson's scorching novel of passion and unspoken loyalty is brought to life in a major mini series unfolding in the epic Australian tradition of Against The Wind and Sara Dane.
