The Thorn Bird is a 1983 television miniseries based on the 1977 novel of the same name by Colleen McCullough. The miniseries was produced by Australian production company Southern Star Group and stars Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward, Bryan Brown, Barbara Hershey, and John Gielgud.

The Thorn Bird tells the story of the Cleary family in the early 20th century. The Clearys are a poor family who live on a farm in the Australian outback. The father, Francis (Chamberlain), is a harsh and abusive man who drinks heavily and mistreats his wife and children. The mother, Mary (Ward), is a strong …