"For the Term of His Natural Life" was adapted for the stage by Charles MacMahon prior to 1903. The Majeroni dramatic company toured New Zealand and some states of Australia performing it in 1903 and 1904, starring George Majeroni as Dawes and Mario Majeroni as Rae. MacMahon also used the novel as the basis for one of the first full-length motion picture films, produced in Australia in 1908 (22 minutes).There was another version in 1911, "The Life of Rufus Dawes", based on Alfred Dampier's popular stage adaptation of the novel.