The Lady Outlaw

The Lady Outlaw is a 1911 Australian silent film set in Van Diemen's Land during the convict era. It was also known as *By His Excellency's Command* or *By His Excellency's Command, a Tale of a Lady Outlaw*, and is now considered a lost film. Produced by the Australian Photoplay Company, the movie was shot in New South Wales and featured a notable bushfire scene. Alice Emslie, a champion horsewoman, starred in the lead role alongside Charles Villiers.

The plot follows Dorothy, whose lover is transported to Hobart for a crime. She discovers he has escaped from his abusive employer and is presumed dead by the police. Seeking revenge, Dorothy leads a group of escaped convicts in raids on the landowner's house. However, she later learns her lover is alive and married to another woman. Continuing as a bushranger, she becomes involved in a shootout by the sea. After a duel between a lieutenant and her last follower, Dorothy is captured by police.

The film was previewed in Melbourne in August 1911 and received positive reviews. The Hobart Mercury described it as "one of the finest yet shown in Hobart," while *The Bulletin* noted its engaging storyline, though it questioned the historical accuracy of the narrative, which loosely drew inspiration from John Batman's alleged marriage to a woman outlaw. The film's chapter headings included dramatic titles like *Arrested-for Forgery*, *Struggle on the Cliffs*, and *A Free Pardon*.