Chris Haywood, Roderick Williams, and Peter Collingwood worked on this film and the parody Wills & Burke (1985).
With a budget of around $9.3 million (Australian dollars) the picture was at the tine the most expensive Australian film ever to be produced.
Australian Actors Equity opposed the casting of English actor Nigel Havers in the second billed lead role William John Wills but this decision was overturned at the arbitration commission.
American star Charlton Heston was considered to play one of the two leading roles, that of Robert O'Hara Burke, but this part in the end was cast with Australian actor Jack Thompson.