[2] The novel is based on the life of bushranger Jimmy Governor, the subject of an earlier book by Frank Clune.

[3] The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is set in 19th century New South Wales and tells the ultimately tragic story of Jimmie, an Aboriginal man caught between his family and culture and white settler colonialism.

The story is written from the perspective of Jimmie Blacksmith, an Indigenous Australian man on a mission of revenge.

The story is a fictionalised retelling of the life of the infamous Indigenous bushranger Jimmy Governor.

The film won the Best Original Music Score (Bruce Smeaton), Best Actress in a Lead Role (Angela Punch McGregor) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Ray Barrett) and was nominated for 9 more awards at the Australian Film Institute (AFI) for 1978.