Golden Valley is a children's play by Dorothy Hewett for audiences aged 4-14, It is "a free-spirited and distinctly Australian fairytale ",[1] telling the story of a 12-year-old orphan Marigold, who is adopted by a group of bush creatures.
Together Marigold and the creatures -- including a crane, a mopoke, a possum, a wombat, a feral cat and a shape-changing boy -- battle to save their patch of paradise.
Aunt Jane (the crane): tall gaunt and middle-aged Aunt Em (the wombat): plump, elderly, motherly and short sighted Uncle Nee (the possum): short furry faced red-headed middle aged and lame Uncle Di (the mopoke): elderly, myopic, with a long straggly beard and glasses - Mining Warden: in shortsleeves and green eyeshade Marigold: a red-headed 12 year old orphan Jack Swannell: a villainous landlord/ developer, wearing bifocals Tib: the feral cat.
A beautiful red-headed witch - Mother superior: a nun with an Irish accent Nim: a green ragged boy - Yarriman: a part aboriginal stockman - The Wishing Tree: a magic tree - Joe Anchor: the ghost of a long dead miner This tale of protecting nature, the power of imagination and the evils of usury is loaded with special lighting effects, music and dance.
The four old people, Jane, Em, Nee and Di, sleep out in the open on iron beds with mosquito netting.
They eventually reach Joe Anchor who tells them to pan for gold in Mopoke Creek.