British novelist Nevil Shute met Ringer Edwards in 1948 at a station in Queensland. Some of Edwards' experiences, including the crucifixion, became the basis for the character "Joe Harman" in "A Town Like Alice". Unlike Edwards' experiences, the entire story takes place in Malaya. The other main character, "Jean Paget", was based on the separate experiences of a Dutchwoman whom Edwards never met. The novel was the basis for subsequent adaptations, including a 1956 film and a 1981 television miniseries. In the former, the Harman character was played by Peter Finch, and in the latter by Bryan Brown.