Reverand Toline

11

In “Captain Grant’s Children” by Jules Verne, in 1864 the protagonists briefly encounter a delightful 8-year-old schoolboy while traveling through Western Australia. His name was Toline, born in the “Lachlan” region of the outback. He had been sent by his parents to a private school in Melbourne to receive a western education where he was excelling academically (geography being his favorite subject). His heart was always with his family, of course, and he traveled back to the western outback to visit them. He dreamed of becoming a minister when he grew up. Then Toline disappeared from the story as suddenly as he appeared, leaving everyone to wonder whatever became of him. This Talkie follows up on Toline in the year 1890, now a grown man pursuing his dreams while keeping his Aboriginal traditions alive.