‘The Drover's Wife’ (2022) is inspired by Henry Lawson’s short story of the same title released in 1892. It is considered a deeply personal movie to Leah Purcell, who took multiple roles in the movie, spanning from being its director, writer, and main character.

The movie is set in 1893 Australian Outback and the story revolves around Molly Johnson, the wife of a sheep drover. Her husband goes out of town to work one day and leaves his family by themselves, including the pregnant Molly and their four children. With her husband gone, Molly is forced to protect her family and her house from both nature and strangers. And she is successful until the Aboriginal fugitive Yadaka stumbles upon her Snowy Mountains homestead and intrudes on her sanctuary.

Purcell’s version of the story came first as a stage play in 2016 which she wrote and starred in. The play was then translated into a novel published in 2019, which was also authored by Purcell.

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