Tusitala is a 1986 three-part mini series for television based on the last years in the life of Robert Louis Stevenson, when he left Great Britain for Sydney and west Samoa.
In the Samoan language Tusitala means writer of stories and it is there that Robert Louis Stevenson spent his last four years. He was buried there at Mount Vaea.
There had been plans to film this in the 1960s by Cinesound Productions.
In 1983 producer Ray Alchin announced Ted Roberts would be the writer. The ABC deliberately aimed at an international co production. "We're branching out with an international figure," said Alchin.
The budget was $5 million.
Filming started June 1985 by which stage the writer had become Peter Yeldham. It was the only production Don Sharp ever directed in his native Australia.