The Bush
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Acknowledgements
‘After all,’ the Queen observes in Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader, ‘novels are not necessarily written as the crow flies.’ If one is denied straight lines in Henry James, one should expect them even less in a book about the bush. Readers will soon find this story straying all over the place, as the bush does, and as I did.
Among those who welcomed me on these travels were Michael and Annie O’Brien at Walgett, the McKindlays at Barham, the Jewells at Walpole, the Stewarts at Sea Lake, Tom and Robyn Donovan at Mt Isa, Malcolm Carnegie at Lake Cowal, and Tammy Azte at Renmark. Of course I would like to think that a few things in this book might in part repay their hospitality, but I know I cannot count on this. It will be enough if they find nothing here that can be taken as ingratitude.
My thanks also to Robert Godfree, Brendon Lepschi, Murray Fagg, John Wolseley, Jan Senbergs, Neville White, Carmen Lawrence, Anne Allingham, Stefano de Pieri, David Trigger, Phil Kenyon, David Lane, Roy Skabo and others from the Tasmanian Weed Society, and Susan Gordon Brown. Shane Carmody was good enough to arrange a room and other privileges at the State Library of Victoria. I talked about rural life with Steve Kerr for forty years, and I will forever be in debt to the clarity of his mind and the warmth of his friendship.
By giving up the contents of her astounding memory, my mother, Mary Watson, had more to do with this book than probably she knows. For this, and much more besides, I am grateful.
For his faith and patience I thank Ben Ball at Penguin, and for hers, Meredith Rose, who also brought exemplary editing (and motivational) skills. Sophie Hamley was wise and encouraging as usual. For research and continuing all-round support I thank Helen Smith; and for inspiration of very long standing, her neighbour, that old bushman Allen Wade, and his wife Liza.
And, for many reasons, Chloe Hooper.
Photo Credits
PAGE 3 (TOP) Blackfish: Carl Bento © Australian Museum (MIDDLE) Milking machinery: International Harvester Co. Aust/Museum of Victoria BOTTOM Jersey heifer: Jenny Dean PAGE 4 (TOP) Chinese ringbarkers’ camp: Museum of the Riverina, NSW (BOTTOM) Bush home: National Library of Australia/Australian Inland Mission collection PAGE 5 (TOP) Bush family: State Library of NSW PAGE 6 Boy at possum trappers’ camp: State Library of Queensland PAGE 7 (TOP) Hunting party: State Library of NSW (MIDDLE) Rabbits: National Library of Australia (BOTTOM) Snake hunters: National Library of Australia PAGE 8 (TOP) Shearer: National Library of Australia (BOTTOM) Grinning kelpie: Susan Gordon Brown PAGE 9 (TOP) Swagmen: National Library of Australia (MIDDLE) On the track: Northern Territory Library (BOTTOM) Human skeleton: State Library of WA PAGE 10 (BOTTOM LEFT) Caroline Creaghe: State Library of NSW PAGE 11 (TOP) ‘Sheep blow flies’ by E.H. Zeck, copyright Agricultural Scientific Collections Trust PAGE 12 (TOP) Signing up for land: State Library of Queensland (BOTTOM) Scrub removal: National Library of Australia PAGE 13 (TOP) Grubbing mallee roots: Museum of Victoria (BOTTOM) Wimmera in drought: State Library of Victoria PAGE 14 (TOP) Russell Drysdale’s The Drover’s Wife reproduced by kind permission of Lynne Clarke PAGE 15 Both photos © Estate of Jeff Carter, image from National Library of Australia PAGE 16 (TOP) Damper with dried fruit: © Estate of Jeff Carter, image from National Library of Australia (MIDDLE) Aborigines extracting drinking water: National Library of Australia (BOTTOM & LEFT) Butcher’s shop & Slaughtered beast: State Library of Queensland PAGE 17 (TOP) Men and tree: Museum of Victoria PAGE 18 Erosion: Susan Gordon Brown PAGE 19 Canoe tree: Murray Fagg PAGE 20 (TOP) Map of Mildura: National Library of Australia (BOTTOM LEFT) Surveyor: Queensland Museum (BOTTOM RIGHT) Man and beast: Museum of Victoria PAGE 21 (TOP) Narrandera dust storm:
National Library of Australia (MIDDLE) Water tank: State Library of Queensland PAGE 21 (BOTTOM) Arsenic sprayer: northwestweeds.nsw.gov.au PAGE 22 (TOP) Contemporary Landscape I: Getty Images (BOTTOM LEFT) Spinifex: Robin Smith/Getty Images PAGE 26 (BOTTOM RIGHT) Michael O’Brien: James Wagstaff/Newspix PAGE 27 (TOP) Lake Cowal in flood: Natalie Lowrey (BOTTOM) Ken and Val Stewart: Susan Gordon Brown PAGE 28 Both photos: State Library of Queensland PAGE 29 Aboriginal nursemaid: State Library of NSW PAGE 30 (TOP) Ash Wednesday, 1983: Newspix (BOTTOM) Contemporary Landscape II: Getty Images
Unlisted photos courtesy of the author, except for paintings noted on insert pages. While every effort has been made to locate the copyright holders of photos, the publisher welcomes hearing from anyone in this regard.
HAMISH HAMILTON
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