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This story follows the lives of the convict women of the Lady Juliana, the first ship of the 2nd Fleet, from their scams, cons and crimes in London, to their time in Newgate Jail, the months spent on board the ship in the Thames Estuary before it sailed, the voyage itself and ultimately to Australia and their lives in the colony. These women truly did resuscitate a dying colony and are indeed the great unacknowledged matriachs of Australia.

The score for The Floating Brothel is an elaborate orchestral score, composed in the style of Handel and Bach and designed to weave seamlessly between adaptations of music written by these and other extraordinary composers.

Produced by Essential Viewing

• Broadcast on ABC Australia; BBC2 Britain; PBS America (broadcast as 'Voyage of the Courtesans') and the History Channel

• Nominated Best Music for a Documentary, APRA-AGSC Screen Music Awards (2007)

• First Place Gold Camera Award at this year's US International Film & Video Festival in the "History; Biography" category (2006)

• Banff World Television Festival - Hors Concours (out of competition) History and Biography Programs (2006)

• Finalist 2006 ATOM Awards - Best Documentary Human Story Category

• Pacific International Documentary Film Festival Finalist (2007)

• Sydney Morning Herald Couch Potato Awards (2006) - Honourable Mention

• Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing (2006) - Winner, Secondary School Teaching & Learning Category

• Australian Cinematographers Society Vic & Tas (2006) - Silver Award for Dramatised Documentary

• Nominated 'Most Outstanding Documentary' Australian TV Logie Awards (2007)

Purchase the DVD View the trailer Film Australia PDF Flyer

What the Critics Have Said

“Four stars... There are not many shows that look at the history of Australian women so this is definitely one not to be missed.” - Adelaide Advertiser, 22 November 2006

“Fascinating... A history lesson no one should miss.” - Sunday Mail, 19 November 2006

“Mark Lewis has delivered a compelling, frequently bawdy and ultimately moving story that lingers long after the viewing" - Clare Morgan, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 November 2006

“Four stars... Those who deride Australian history as dull should tune into this excellent documentary to see just how wrong they are.” - Rachel Browne, Sun Herald, 19 November 2006

“The tale of the Juliana makes solid viewing and is a remarkable piece of history we can be strangely proud of.” - Marcus Casey, Daily Telegraph, 22 November 2006

All music is copyright and is not to be used without permission of the copyright owner.