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Miles Franklin’s My Brilliant Career has endured as a brilliant Australian classic since it hit bookshelves in 1901. Since then, it has been adapted for the screen as a 1979 film starring Judy Davis and the late Sam Neill.
And this year, Netflix plans to transport its audiences away from Emily in Paris’ City of Light and Bridgerton’s Regency-era Britain to the high society and widescreen landscapes of the Australian outback with a new TV adaptation.
My Brilliant Career on Netflix stars Philippa Northeast as Sybylla, a dreamy girl growing up in rural poverty who moves in with her wealthy maternal grandmother. Not one to join conventional 1890s society, she wrestles between pursuing her literary career and indulging in a budding romance.
Sybylla’s journey takes her across various spots of South Australia with the series filmed at scenic era-accurate mansions and leading Australian studios that were given a period makeover.
Adelaide Studios
While the 1979 film was primarily filmed in New South Wales, the Netflix series set up shop in South Australia, with a chunk of the episodes shot in Adelaide. The production captured urban backdrops at the city’s heritage locations while interior sets were created at Adelaide Studios. The spacious interiors were stacked with glimmering chandeliers and bottles of fine-aged wine as the characters indulge in fancy dances and intense confrontations.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports that South Australian arts minister Andrea Michaels has high hopes from the series to boost tourism in the state, with My Brilliant Career expected to add $17 million into the state’s economy – more than any other production filmed here.
Barossa Valley
About an hour’s drive away from Adelaide lies the touristy wine-producing valley of Barossa. The South Australian destination’s lush exteriors provide the backdrop for the outdoor scenes, including Sybylla’s earlier years farming and her later literary – and romantic – pursuits. Barossa might just get some more bookings for weekend getaways after My Brilliant Career.
Para Para Mansion, Gawler
On the fringes of the Barossa Valley lies an exquisite house towering above neatly-trimmed hedges and a sea of lavender flowers. This is the Para Para Mansion in the country town of Gawler. The popular tourist attraction served as a filming location, a visual backdrop for Sybylla’s many society run-ins. This setting makes My Brilliant Career seem like Australia’s answer to Bridgerton, with its outer lawns hosting fancy tea parties and some boozier get-togethers with oysters and cocktails.
Built between 1851 and 1862, the complex is at least 170 years old. The mansion and its gardens are open to the public on select days.
Yallum Park, Penola
Another fancy mansion featured in My Brilliant Career is Yallum Park which doubles as the posh home of Sybylla’s uptight grandma. This historic homestead dates back to late 19th century and once hosted King George V. The two-storey Victorian mansion overlooks a parkland garden and a coach house.
More than 200 miles outside of Adelaide, the arrival of a major Netflix production has locals hoping that the town is now on the set-jetting map. ‘The town has obviously had a lot of accommodation bookings from cast and crew while they’re filming here,’ local café owner Ian Perry told the ABC, ‘but I think the real tourism benefits are yet to come’.
Who stars in My Brilliant Career?
Philippa Northeast (Territory) leads the ensemble as Sybylla, alongside Christopher Chung (Slow Horses) as her love interest and Anna Chancellor (Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Crown) as her grandmother Mrs Bossier.
Where can I watch My Brilliant Career?
All six episodes of the miniseries stream on Netflix from August 13.