Aussie Outback Books - here are some of my favourite books.
Please scroll down page to view them all. I have added information about most of the books and buy buttons. Still some work to do here. Please contact me with any questions.
Thankyou for your patience. Jeanie
Along
the Ashburton, by Rhonda McDonald
ISBN
0 85905 288 5, (2002 new), Soft Cover, section sewn, 278 pages, illustrated,
385grams, $30.00
+ POST
The
history of Onslow and the stations of the Ashburton. Rhonda
McDonald (nee Stidworthy) spent much of her childhood and married life in
country similar to that of which she has written. She commenced her schooling
at Onslow in 1936 and finished it at the Presentation Convent Carnarvon, along
with some of the people mentioned in this book.After leaving school Rhonda worked on the Carnarvon telephone exchange
before becoming Gascoyne Traders' first secretary. Eventually she married Allan
McDonald of Mangaroon Station, where they lived until their retirement to
Perth.
And
if her droughts are bitter, by Gladys Linke
ISBN
0-85905-228-1, (1996 & 2003), illust, 133pp, 180grams, $22.00
+ POST
The Linke family and their life on the far outback Prenti Downs and
Carnegie Stations. The book also details aspects of the canning Stock Route.
Tommy Injebong. Len Beadell.
A fascinating window into the life of a bush station and the people who live and pass through there.
Camels
and the Outback, by H.M. Barker
ISBN
0 85905 182 X, (1995 reprint of 1964 edition with new material), Soft Cover,
207pp, illustrated, 260grams,$30.00
+ POST In
Camels and the Outback H.M. Barker gives a fascinating account of the years he
spent as a camel driver in remote areas of Australia. In his lively
anecdotes he introduces the reader to a number of unforgettable characters,
such as W.C. Snell, who was known as the 'roughest camel driver in the
country', and the eccentric 'Dobson of Australia', who used to shave by burning
off his beard with lighted sticks. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book is the detailed
description of camels used as draught and pack animals in the bush. The
author's commentary on the behaviour, capabilities, and limitations of camels
shows how well he knew and understood them. His vivid recollections
remind the reader that camels were invaluable as carriers and were used
extensively throughout the continent for more than a generation. "I found this an unforgettable read and I have had a different kind of awe and respect for Camels ever since," Jeanie Crago
Dry
River, by Rachel Percy
As told by Dave MillsISBN 978-0-85905-506-2, (2012R), illust.,
212 pp, 400g, $30.00
+ POST
Humorous,
gritty, real…David
Mills’ biography, Dry River, is a richly detailed account of working
life in the Australian Outback in the last days of the old stockroutes and
packsaddle cattle camps. An extraordinary story of an ordinary bloke.Dry
River is a vivid account of one man’s pursuit of his dream:
“…and one day – you never know – to have a cattle station of my own.”
Droving
Days, by H.M. Barker
ISBN
0 85905 197 8, (1994 reprint of 1966 edition), Soft Cover, 140mm x 215mm,
124pp, illustrated, 175grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia only
The acute
powers of observation and vivid recollection of years spent in the bush that
characterised his Camels and the Outback are again delightfully shown by H.M.
Barker. After highlighting the achievements of some of
the best known of the early pioneers - Hawden, Tyson, de Satge, Sutherland,
Gray, Buchanan, Christison and Cotton - he introduces the pleasures, rigours,
vagaries and discomforts of droving as he experienced them.
The
Beckoning West, by Eleanor Smith
ISBN
0 85905 251 6, (1998 reprint of 1966 edition with new material), Soft Cover,
256 pp, illustrated, 325grams, $30.00
+ POST
The
story of the Canning Stock Route's construction. Eleanor
Smith, who was a nurse before her marriage in 1930, travelled extensively in
the outback. She
became fascinated with Trotman’s stories and spent day after day by his
fireside listening and taking notes until his five expeditions fell into place
and she was able to reproduce them 'in Trotman’s own words'. She has performed
a remarkable feat of listening, organising and writing to enable Trotman to
tell his story in the first person, in a rich, economical and always convincing
style. This edition includes 23 pages of illustrations.
The
Bride Ships, by Rica Erickson
ISBN
0 85905 162 5, (1992 new), Soft Cover, 270pp, illustrated, 470grams, $35.00
+ POST
United
Kingdom immigrants in the 1800s who became settlers in Western Australia. An
important social history and of great genealogical interest. Contents: Part 1:The first Bride Ship, Doubtful Anchorage - the Servants' Home..., Fair winds and Foul, Any Port in a storm - country Immigrant Dep, The Doldrums - Gov. Kennedy imposes Economics, Winds of Change - Gov Hampton at the Helm, Setting a new course - after Transportation of Convicts Ceased, Full Steam ahead - into Troubled Waters. Part 2. Choosing a husband - Mary White's letters, The Broad Family...., Immigrants at the Toodyay Immigrant Hiring Dep,Julia Tighe - an Irish Needlewoman, Murder, Benjamin Piggot's servants at Springhill..., Exiles wifes as Immigrants, Elphick's Dilemma, A Labourer's lot- Alfred Gittens, Turton, the Miller at Dongara, Builders at East Perth, Joseph Wright, a letter writer.
Gold
in the Gascoyne, by Rhonda McDonald
ISBN
0 85905 270 2, (2000 reprint of 1985, 1986 edition with new material), Soft
Cover, 140pp, illustrated, 200grams, $22.00 plus postage with Australia only
The story of Mangaroon Station and its development by the McDonalds
from 1923, including the discovery of the magnificent Star of Mangaroon gold
mine.
Bulloo Downs Drover, by Peter Hall
ISBN
0 85905 293 1, (2002 new), Soft Cover, 135grams, $16.50
+ POST
Droving
and station life on Ilgararie and Bulloo Downs Stations in the upper Ashburton
north of Meekatharra in Western Australia. This
collection of stories on old time cattlemen gives an insight into their lives,
their country and their droving exploits. Peter Hall writes of a way of life
now changed forever by modern transport and communications. The author has spent his life among the people and places he writes of
in these plain tales from the bush.
Bullfinch and
the Yilgarn Goldfield, by Gilbert Ralph
ISBN
0 85905 395 4, (2007 New), Soft cover, 288 pages, illustrated, under 500 gram
packed, $35.00*
+ POST
Bullfinch
and the Yilgarn Goldfield had its beginnings with a suggestion from Sir
Laurence Brodie-Hall that the unique nature of the community at Bullfinch
during the Great Western Consolidated era from 1950 to 1963 deserved recording.
Sir Arvi Parbo, who began his mining career at Bullfinch, supported the concept
and they encouraged Gilbert Ralph, a retired Executive from Western Mining
Corporation, to write a history of Great Western and Bullfinch. Gilbert has
taken five years to research and write this history.
The
Family Farm—Success & Succession, by Judith Stanich
ISBN
0 85905 231 1, (1995 new), Soft Cover, 113pp, illustrated, 160grams, $22.00
+ POST
An
essential handbook that deals with the very sensitive and taboo subject of
family business succession. The author believes she has found a way for families
to deal with and resolve this issue.
Bullwinkel, THE
TRUE STORY OF SISTER VIVIAN BULLWINKEL AND THE WARTIME MASSACRE OF 21
AUSTRALIAN ARMY NURSING SERVICE SISTER, by Norman G. Manners
ISBN
085905 265, (2000 new), Soft Cover, 248 pages, illustrated, 530grams, $30.00
+ POST
The Vivian Bullwinkel story takes the reader through her early years
in Broken Hill and her struggle to become a certified nurse. She joined the
A.A.N.S. at the outbreak of war in Europe and enjoyed the balmy days of pre-war
Malacca and Singapore until the surprise attack by the Japanese in December
1941.
Gold
at Peak Hill, by P.R. Heydon (OAM)
ISBN
0 85905 153 6, (1991 new), Hard Cover, 310pp, illustrated, 530grams, $35.00 plus postage within Australia only.
The
story of the discovery of gold in 1892 by Wilson and partners, the history of
the town and Peak Hill area and its characters, all now gone. The Author Phil Heydon commenced his working life in the Post Office at Cue, in
1935, as a Telegraph Messenger. He worked in most Murchison goldfield towns,
returning to Big Bell as Postmaster in 1947 and retired as Postmaster at the
General Post Office, Perth. He was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in
1977, and the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1979.
Gold
on the Murchison, by Phil Heydon
ISBN
0 85905 066 1, (1986, 2008), 221pp, illustrated, Soft Cover, 315 grams, $35.00
+ POST, Reprint
of 1986 edition
Gold
on the Murchison is the story of Cue, Day Dawn and Big Bell and the part the
towns and their people played in the development of Murchison gold. From
the first rushes in the 1880s and the hardships of the pioneers to Cue's status
as the 'Queen of the Murchison', the decay to ghost towns, oblivion and
eventual rebirth. The
Author Phil
Heydon commenced his working life in the Post Office at Cue, in 1935, as a
Telegraph Messenger. He worked in most Murchison goldfield towns, returning to
Big Bell as Postmaster in 1947 and retired as Postmaster at the General Post
Office, Perth. He was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977,
and the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1979.
Grandfather
was a Policeman, by Mollie Bentley
ISBN 0 85905 143 9, (1993 new), Soft Cover, 140mm x 215mm, 180pp,
illustrated, 250grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia only
Traces the early Western Australian police force from its inception to
the 1890s with an emphasis on the men who served in it.
Leaves
from a Prospectors Diary, by J.E. Tregurtha
ISBN 0 85905 212 5, (1996 new), Soft Cover, 225pp, 140mm x 215mm,
illustrated, 295grams, $30.00
+ POST
Reminiscences of prospecting in Western Australia from the 1890s to
the 1930s. With Billy Frost, Tregurtha opened up many areas. He recounts
his desert expeditions and his time in the Klondyke and New Guinea.
Heroes
Have Wings, by Peter Firkins
ISBN 0 85905 179 X, (1993 new), Soft Cover, 226pp, illustrated,
300grams, $30.00
+ POST
Heroes Have Wings relates
the stories of Royal Australian Air Force aces in the great air battles of
World War II, most told for the first time. The author is one of
Australia’s best-known military historians.
Iron
in the Fire , by Edgar Morrow
ISBN 0 85905 360 1, (2006 reprint of 1934 edition), Soft Cover,
136pp,190grams, $22.00
+ POST
1896-1953, was born in Lancashire, England and arrived in Western
Australia as a youth of twelve with his family to go farming at Dongerlocking.
At the start of World War I he enlisted in the 28th Battalion,
attaining the rank of Corporal and served in Gallipoli and France, where he was
twice wounded.
The Gold
Stealers, by Brian Purdue
ISBN
085908 271 0, (2001 new), Soft Cover, 280 pages, illustrated, 450grams, $35.00 plus postage in Australia
In
1926 one of the most diabolical murders to ever take place in Western Australia
was committed. Two
members of the Goldstealing Detection Branch of the West Australian Police
Force were murdered near Kalgoorlie, and their bodies partly dismembered and
burned. The remains were then taken to a mineshaft and unceremoniously dumped.
A gold processing plant was then thrown on top of the mutilated bodies. This book reports all the known facts of the case. There are no
imagined histrionics or manufactured conversations. Some of the photographs
have never been previously published or even seen before, except in Court.
The Glorious
Uncertainty , by Sally L. Senior
ISBN
0 85905 282 6, (2000 new), Soft Cover, 152pp, illustrated, $22.00
+ POST
An
enchanting tale of the lives of three little girls who grew up on a sheep
station in the East Murchison district of Western Australia in the 1930s and
1940s.
Ernest
Giles - Explorer & Traveller 1835-1897, by Ray Ericksen
ISBN
0 85905 240 0, (1997 reprint of 1978 edition with new material), Soft Cover,
336pp, illustrated, 510grams, $45.00 plus postage within Australia only
Between
1872 and 1876 Ernest Giles led five expeditions into Australia's western
interior, during which he discovered more land than any other explorer of this
continent. Fiercely individualistic and driven by a desire 'to be the first to penetrate this region', Giles proceeded without official support. Despite initial setbacks and the seemingly impenetrable wilderness that confronted him, Giles never weakened in his purpose or his love of exploration. This was partly due to his being a romantic - any situation, even the most desperate, was an 'experience', capable of stimulating his poetic imagination and his talent for writing.....This definitive study of Giles is also a stimulating contribution to the history of Australian exploration.
Cossack
Gold, by W. Lamden Owen
ISBN 978-0-85905-440-9, (2008 new format of this edition), 1984
reprint of 1933 edition with new material, Hard Cover, 130mm x 190mm, 154pp,
illustrated, 330grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia
Vivid reminiscences of the life in the North West of Australia from
the 1880s to the 1930s. Gold, pearling, aboriginals, diamonds, murder and
madness in the great but empty North.
Coolgardie
Gold, by Albert Gaston
ISBN 0 85905 400 4, (1984 reprint of 1937 edition with new material),
Hard Cover, 228pp, illustrated, 340grams, $22.00 + POST
The discovery of gold at Coolgardie filled thousands of young men with
eagerness to try their luck on the new field. Gaston recalls the dust that was ever present,
willy-willies, flies and ants in myriads, water bags, camel teams, summer heat,
winter cold, typhoid, crowded hotel and bars.
Australia
Twice Traversed, by Ernest Giles
ISBN
0 85905 206 0, (1995 reprint of 1889 edition), 382pp, illustrated, 670grams, $50.00
+ POST
A classic of Australian exploration in one volume, including maps.
The
Anzac Squadron, by Norman Ashworth
ISBN
0 85905 198 6, (1994 new), Soft Cover, 140mm x 215mm, 285pp, illustrated,
350grams, $33.00
+ POST The
Anzac Squadron is the story of 461 Squadron, Royal Australian
Air Force, formed in Britain on Anzac Day 1942. The Sunderland Flying Boat
Squadron spent the next three years opposing Admiral Doenitz's U Boats in the
battle of the Atlantic. The
young Australian and British air crew flew their boats in search of the
ever-elusive U Boats while the Luftwaffe JU88 fighters hunted the hunters. From this combination came both excitement and tragedy. This is a
story not only of the moments of excitement that punctuated the otherwise long
monotonous patrols but also back at base where aircrew and ground staff alike
had to face the rigours of wartime Britain, far from their homes and loved
ones. It is a story told largely by those who took part, in their own way and
in their own words.
Agnew, by Alex Palmer
ISBN
085905 267 2, (2000 new), Soft Cover, laminated, 142 pages, illustrated,
195grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia
The history of the goldfield's town, its rise and fall and the life of
its people.
A Look Over the Edge, by Jeanie Crago
What a life Jeanie Crago portrays, in A Look Over the Edge. The book is full of adventure! From Mt Barker to Meekatharra, Millstream to Mt Newman and well beyond, this is a crisscross trip around Western Australia.
Droving with Ben Taylor - Up and down the Canning Stock Route in 1946, by Len Hill
ISBN 978 0 85905 472 0, New 2009, 236pp, Soft Cover, 310grams, $33.00 plus postage in Australia only.
Based on the diary of a Canning Stock Route driver. It is the only droving diary known from the 50 years of operation of the CSR, the longest and most remote stock route in the world...Ben Taylor teaches the youthful Len Hill the art of droving in the desert lands..with horses and camels from Wiluna to Billiluna and return with cattle... about the cattle, the land, the inhabitants...Len Hill is a retired Kimberley pastoralist....
Fields of Gold, A story of the Yalgoo Goldfields, by Alex Palmer
ISBN 978 0 85905 464 5, Reprint 1981, 1999, 2009, Soft Cover, 160grams, $22.00 plus postage with Australia only
Gold to Grass, A Ashwin
ISBN 0 85905 284 2, 2002 New, Soft Cover, illustrated, 300grams, $30.00 plus postage within Australia only
Prospecting in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia through the 1870s ,80s and 90s. Destined to become a bush classic.
Golden Land of Silence - A tale of the Kimberleys, by A.O. Neville
ISBN 978 0 85905 479 9, New 2010, 181pp, 320grams, $30.00plus postage within Australia .
This novel, set in the 1930s in the far north Kimberley region of Western Australia, not only is a story of enduring love and revenge, both European and Aboriginal, but a portrayal of life on a remote cattle station where access and transport were both limited to slow.
The Golden West and How it was Discovered, by R. Greaves
ISBN 0 85905 311 3, 1981 reprint of 1903 edition, Soft Cover, 62pp, illustrated, 110grams, $12.00 plus postage within Australia only.
Greaves was the discoverer of the Yilgarn goldfield in 1887. A detailed account of the discovery and its results for Greaves and his partners.
Ground Crew, by Felix Sainsbury
ISBN 0 89505 302 4, 2001 New, Soft Cover, 124pp, illustrated, Spiral A4, 370grams, $30.00 plus postage within Australia
The war diaries of a RAAF ground crew member in North Africa during World War 11
The Growing Up, by Katherine Campbell
ISBN 0 85905 347 4, 2004 New, Soft Cover, 134pp, illustrated, 180grams $22.00 plus postage within Australia only
The recounting of an adventurous life of a girl growing up on the South West group settlement in the period 1927-1937
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Kimberley Scenes, edited by C. Clement& P.J. Bridge
ISBN 0 85905 145 5, 1991 New, Hard Cover, 310pp, illustrated, 550grams, $40.00 plus postage within Australia.
A magnificent collection of reminiscences of the early days of Kimberley: the gold rush, droving and police work in the Northern territory with 100 illustrations of the period.
"I've Had a Good Life" Phil's Story, by George Philip Aitchison
ISBN 978 0 85905 377 8, 2006 Reprint 2010, A4, 58pp, 185g, $22.00 plus postage within Australia
Phil Aitchison's life story has the potential to appeal to the broader community. Australian's like to read about "battlers". How he has overcome adversity and lived a fulfilling life is a fascinating story
The Land of Gold, by Julius M Price
ISBN 978 0 85905 263 4, 2007 New, Reprint 2010, illustrated, 144pp, 200grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia, this edition has been reset and proofed.
Julius M Price, special artist and correspondent of the Illustrated London News, journeyed through Western Australia in 1895, writing of and sketching the scenes of bush life and goldmining in the Eastern and Murchison goldfields.
One Life's Journey, by Edward Holthouse
ISBN 0 85905 107 2, 1987 New, Hard Cover, 161pp, illustrated, 450grams, $33.00 plus postage within Australia only
Holthouse's autobiography and the history of Muccan Station, in the Pilbara of Western Australia.
Little Boy Lost, Northampton in 1865, by Peter J Bridge
ISBN 978 0 85905 490 4, 2010 New, 24pp, illustrated, Soft Cover, B5, 50g, $8.00 plus postage within Australia only
There is little more heart-breaking for parents than to lose a child, especially one of tender years, in whom love and dreams for the future were the warp and weft of a preious tapestry.
Loaming for Gold, by Sam Cash, with a Foreword and biographical notes by Bob Sheppard
ISBN 0 85905 431 4, 2008 Reprint with new material, Soft Cover, 84pp, illustrated, 150grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia only
The technique of loaming has found many new gold mines and millions of $ of gold. this book by the 'Prince of Loamers' is an essential handbook for prospectors. It gives the potential for the creation of wealth.
???
Lucky Ross, by W.H. Ross
ISBN 0 885905 203 6, 1994 New, Soft Cover, 288pp, illustrated, 360grams, $30.00 plus postage within Australia only
John Ross served on the HMAS Sydney and HMAS Canberra. This unique account is a classic.
Lure of the North, by F. W. Gunning
ISBN 0 89505 396 2, 2007 Reprint, Hard Cover, dj, 272pp, illustrated, 720grams, $80.00 plus postage within Australia only
Lure of the North is a story of George Gooch and the opening up of the Gascoyne. Long out of print and reaching $600.00 plus as a rare book, it has been reprinted courtesy of the Gunning and Gooch families. This new facsimile, limited edition, is case bound with a dust jacket.
Major the Outlaw, by W.C. Charnley
ISBN978 0 85905 003 6, 2010 Reprint, 23pp, illustrated, SC, B5, 50gram, $8.00 plus postage with Australia only
"Major" was a fine type of Australian black-fellow, and might have lived and died as a useful member of society but for the deep laid vengeance of "a woman scorned". Plotting with Machiavelian cunning, she first induced him to commit murder and then helped the police to hunt him down. Finally, when a bullet had put an end to his ill starred career, she proceeded, like a dutiful wife to mourn his loss!
MEEKATHARRA, End of the Earth, by P.R. Heydon
ISBN 0 89505 196 X, 1994 New, Hard Cover, 438pp, illustrated, 660grams, $40.00 plus postage within Australia only
The history of Meekatharra, its people, mines, stations, bushmen, drovers, prospectors, townspeople and more.
More Lonely Graves, by Yvonne and Kevin Coate
ISBN 0 85905 2761, (wrongly published 275), 2000 New, Hard Cover, 542pp, illustrated, 1080grams, $95.00 plus postage within Australia only
New lists with death details. Essential for all bush historians
Murder on the Rabbit Proof Fence - The Strange Story of Snowy Rowles and Arthur Upfield, Terry Walker
ISBN 085905 189 7, 1993 New, Soft Cover, 152pp, illustrated, 210grams, $25.00 plus postage within Australia only
Snowy Rowles was hanged on circumstantial evidence for the murders on the lonely Rabbit Proof Fence.
Nannine by the Lake, by P.R. Heydon
ISBN 0 85905 137 4, 1991 New, Soft Cover, 260pp, illustrated, 350grams, $30.00 plus postage within Australia only
The first township on the Mrchison Goldfields. The finding of gold, controversy surrounding its discoverers and the life of the people and characters of the town.
Winning the Gascoyne, by Rhonda McDonald
ISBN 0 85905 158 7, (1991, 2008), 248pp, illustrated, Soft Cover, 320g, $35.00 plus postage
Rhonda McDonald (nee Stidworthy)....her father ran the hotel and a gold mine at Bangemall. She attended the Presbyterian Ladies Convent, Carnarvon. During the wartime evacuation of Carnarvon she went to Mangaroon Station with her brother...After leaving school she worked on the Carnarvon telephone exchange...married Allan McDonald of Mangaroon station ....Rhonda had a keen interest in history...Winning the Gascoyne is not a book of numbers and stats. It is the human stories of the people who helped open up one of our last frontiers, the upper Gascoyne....
Wreck of the Barque Stefano off the North West Cape of Australia in 1875, by Gustave Rathe
ISBN 0 85905 144 7, 1990 new, Soft Cover, 136pp, 190grams, $22.00 including postage within Australia only
A must read for every school child. One of my favourite books of all. Amazing to imagine the difficulties these survivors faced. The Stefano was wrecked on the North West Cape in Western Australia in 1875. At the point of death, the two survivors were taken in by the native's and cared for by them until their rescue by Captain Tuckey some months later. A classic of survival and an amazing insight into the tribal life of the Aboriginal people prior to much white influence. Jeanie Crago
Wiluna, "Edge of the Desert," by P.R. Heydon (O.A.M.)
ISBN 0 85905 216 8, (1996 new), Hard Cover, 155mm x 240mm, 624pp, illustrated, 1kg $75.00 + POST
Wiluna - "Edge of The Desert", celebrates the Centenary of Wiluna, and covers the period 1886-1996. It tells of the three phases of gold mining; of a vibrant town of 9,000 people at its peak; of the reminiscences of 80 people living in the town and on pastoral properties. Tales of drovers coming down the Canning Stock Route and policemen searching for murderers, aboriginals and lost prospectors are some of the stories from that lonely area on the edge of the desert.
Wheel Tracks, by W.W. Ammon
ISBN 0 85905 190 0, (1993 reprint of 1966 edition), Soft Cover, 144pp, illustrated, 190grams, $22.00 + POST Wheel Tracks .... over the red sandhill, across the boggy claypans, into flooded rivers, cutting their lonely path through kilometres of wildflowers or desert blasted by the heat ... in the country of the wild turkey and the giant lizards, where a mob of kangaroos can be so big that it takes an hour to pass by; where Tom Davies perished of thirst, and Micky Brown rode the outlaw mule ... the land of Terrible Bill Cridlen, Gus the Swede, Brumby Pete, and the celebrated Musical Bogger.... a fascinating story of the first transport drivers in the north-west of Western Australia...who began driving when the camel teams were still on the tracks...Eighteen hour days...shovelling our way over sand hills...over 100degrees in the water bag... "a really enjoyable read" Jeanie Crago
Toodyay, the good old days, by Wally Chitty (edited by Chris Martin)
ISBN 0 85905 342 3, (2004), 248 pages, 240x160mm, 150+ photos, maps, 415grams, $35.00 + POST
This book is one man's story of life in the rural community of Toodyay, about 65kms north-east of Perth, Western Australia. It begins in the 1830s and describes the forging of roads and railways into the area, the Avon Rier, flora and fauna, early farming practises, businesses in the town, schools, industries, occupations, entertainment, sporting events, amazing incidents, local disasters and the effect of two world wars on a small town. But most of all, it is a story about people and the legacy they have left for those of us who are proud to call toodyay home. Featuring over 1000 people. Illustrated - over 150 photographs and includes reference maps. The author is a member of a well known local pioneering family.
Along the Road to Cue and other verses, by Andree Hayward
ISBN 978-0-85905-136-1, (2010 new), 106pp, illustrated, 156grams, $22.00 + POST
Charles Wiltens Andree Hayward born in Huntingdon, Hereford 21/7/1866. Arrived W.A. 1894. Became a lawyer, poet and newspaper editor and one of the greatest influences on the developing high culture of the Westralian goldfields. This is a collection of his verse, a biography and literary criticism.
Born to be a Drover, The life story of Jim Freeth 1913-1990, by Jim Freeth
ISBN 0 85905 346 6, (2004 reprint from 1991), soft cover, 72pages, A4, illustrated, 210grams, $22.00* + POST
This is probably the best documented biography of a W.A drover. It covers from the Murchison to Kimberley and the people of those districts. A bush classic.
Yammatji, Aboriginal Memories of the Gascoyne, by Bryan Clark
ISBN 0 85905 159 5, (1992 new), Soft Cover, 140mm x 215mm, 208pp, illustrated, 260grams, $30.00 + POST
"Aboriginal people have a strong cultural heritage and a continuing interest in their past history. Now there is an awakening of interest in things Aboriginal.....To date there has been a lack of written material about Aboriginal history and this has frustrated both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people who seek to learn of this important part of Australia's heritage. Carnarvon writer-artist-photographer, Bryan Clark, has demonstrated a genuine interest....thisbook will fill a huge gap in the understanding of Aboriginal people. their history and their culture on behalf of many modern Australians. It also serves as an important addition to the recorded history of the north-west" Ernie Bridge, J.P., M.L.A. Former Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (Western Australia) The book has Biographies and history of aboriginals of the Gascoyne with many photographs and drawings.
Paynes Find, by Alex Palmer
ISBN 978-0-85905-467-6, (2010), New edition updated to 2001, with 11 more pages. 115pp, illust., 170grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia only.
Paynes Find, 400km north of Perth, is one of Western Australia's most isolated towns and to most people represents nothing more than a fleeting change in the scenery when travelling the Great Northern Highway.
It is an enigma and by rights should have gone the way of the ten or so gold mining towns that once dotted the Yalgoo district. However, it owes it continued existence to that isolation, a centre kept alive by the mining and pastoral industries, each in turn, as their prosperity waxed and waned over the years, an oasis for them and the traveller
White Feather, The Story of Kanowna, by Margaret Bull
ISBN 0 85905 111 0, (1987 reprint of 1981 edition with new material), 145mm x 210mm, Soft Cover, 111 pp, 180grams, $22.00 plus postage in Australia only
White Feather is the story of the old goldfield town of Kanowna, from the time gold was found by Jerry McAuliffe in October 1895 through to the 1980s. Kanowna, originally known as White Feather, was in its heyday one of the richest goldfields in Western Australia outside the famous Kalgoorlie-Boulder golden mile. White Feather is a social history concerned with the discovery of gold and the early years on the find, life and conditions at Kanowna during its rapid growth, the steady decline of the field after the end of the 1890s, and some of the more important figures involved in the town's story.
Yundamindra, by Alex Palmer
ISBN 0 85905 370 9, (2006 new), Soft Cover, 138pp, illustrated, 190grams, $22.00 + POST Lakes Raeside and Carey are the remnants of two ancient river systems... Cradled between their shores are found the old gold mining centres of Yundamindra Linden, Pennyweight Point, Pykes Hollow, Eucalyptus and Yundamindra Pastoral Station. Their story, together with the lives of the folk, black and white, who forged a living here over the years are brought together by Alex Palmer in the pages of Yundamindra.
Mountain View Gold - Day Dawn & The Italians who made it Happen, by Alex Palmer
ISBN 978-0-85905-514-7, (2012N), illust., 125pp, 240g', $25.00 + POST
A new day dawned for Day Dawn WA, following a rich strike at Mountain View.
A group of Italian prospectors at Day Dawn in the 1940s, down to their uppers, defying the advice of experts, persevered for four years before they finally struck it rich...Their bonanza supported the old saying; 'Gold is where you find it'.
The Old North Road, by William de Burgh
ISBN 0 85905 272 9, (2002 reprint of 1986 edition), Soft Cover, 198pp, illustrated, 225grams, $26.00 + POST
In the late 1840s it was becoming evident that the settled districts around Perth were being overstocked. This situation led to Government and settler-financed expeditions being sent south, east and north in search of new grazing areas. One such sortie, led by Augustus Gregory, reported the discovery of extensive grazing land and promising mineral deposits some 480 kilometres to the north.
However, the hazards to travelling stock were many, since access was across barren, scrub-covered plains with long waterless stretches and with numerous toxic plants to be found along the route.
How these problems were overcome and who solved them forms the heart of the fascinating story of the Old North Road
Some Ghosts Some Not, by Eloise I Sharp
ISBN 978-0-85905-503-1, (1979, R2011), 225pp, illustrated, 420 grams, $35.00 + POST
These pages were written to give an insight into the history of Chinginarra, Deepdale, Mardie, Millstream, Mt Enid, Red Hill, Warramboo, Yalleen, Yarraloola & Yathala Stations, between the Robe and Fortescue Rivers - not how they were run, but how they developed and to protray a picture into the hardships of all who lived and worked on them. Some of these stations still exist and others have been integrated into neighbouring properties.
The Scarlet Stain, Harlots, Harridans and Hellholes of Old Kalgoorlie, edited by Sheryl Milentis and Peter J. Bridge
ISBN 085905 350 4, (2004 new), Soft Cover, 188 pages, illustrated, 255grams, $30.00 + POST
By the late 1890s the Kalgoorlie brothels had become a byword for degradation and the most flagrant in the English-speaking world. The Sun newspaper campaigned against the outrageous displays by the prostitutes, the activities of their bludgers and the vested interests of the landlords and sly grog traders. This book details that campaign and shows a vastly different old Kalgoorlie to that usually depicted.
They're Racing at Landor, by P.R. Heydon
ISBN 0 85905 169 2, (1992 new), Soft Cover, 272pp, illustrated, 350grams, $30.00 + POST
The three day race meeting and gymkhana is held near the banks of a creek on the boundary of Landor and Mt James stations, some 1000kms north-west of Perth. The book tells of exciting race stories, of champion horses and well-bred sires. Humorous anecdotes describe hi-jinks and fun at the traditional yearly get-togethers, and the spirit of togetherness runs through the whole story. The Author, Phil Heydon was born in Cue in 1920, and commenced as a telegraph messenger at the Cue Post Office in 1935. He worked in most Murchison goldfield post offices and a number of north west towns before returning as Postmaster to Big Bell from 1947 to 1951. He retired as Postmaster General, Post Office, Perth in 1977
Nor'westers of the Pilbara Breed, The story of brave ancestors who pioneered the outback Pilbara in Western Australia, by Jenny Hardie
ISBN 085905 296 6, (2001 reprint of 1981 edition), Soft Cover, 280 pp plus 266 photos, 1030grams, $55.00 plus postage within Australia only
This book is: Dedicated to early Nor-Westers of the Pilbara breed, who, like my husband's family have an association with the Port Hedland area that goes back to those first hard 100 years. Those stout hearted men and their faithful wives weathered hardships we will never experience in this modern age. They set for the preceeding generations high standards of courage, strength of character and sheer determination in their efforts to tame and wrest a living from a demanding land. Some were successful, some failed. This book is written humbled by a feeling of deep respect for all those early pioneers and encouraged by a genuine love of the area.
Nature's Helping Hand - Scaevola Spinescens, History and Use in Western Australia, The Maroon Bush Story, by Jeanie Crago
This book is the result of my 5 year dream to bring together a comprehensive resource on over 60 years of history of Scaevola Spinescens in Western Australia. see more information here.
Mates and Gold, Reminiscences of the early Westralian Goldfields.1890-1896, by N.K. Sligo
ISBN 0 85905 195 1, (1995 reprint of 1980 edition with new material), Soft Cover, 259pp, illustrated, 340grams, $30.00 plus postage within Australia only.
The greatest of the Western Australian 1890’s gold rush reminiscences.
Mates and Gold tells of bush life in the Western Australian desert, dangerous journeys and lonely deaths by typhoid, thirst, murder, spearing and retributional massacre. Vast new goldfields, gold won - and lost. Of bush mates and memories of a life long past.
Mates and Gold is an insight into the fortitude and humour with which the early prospectors faced the harshness of the goldfields. It is one of the few books on the great 1890s goldrush written by one of the original prospectors.
"This is an awesome book, an amazing insight into how rich the goldfields were in the goldrush times, I have heard it referred to as the prospectors bible and I can see why!" Jeanie Crago.
The Magnificent Miner, Claude de Bernales, by Hal Colebatch
ISBN 0 85905 200 1, (1996 new), Soft Cover, 340pp, illustrated, 450grams, $35.00 + POST
Claude de Bernales was a vast, glittering, enigmatic presence. In the 1920s he saved the West Australian gold-mining industry and perhaps saved Western Australia itself from starvation in the Depression of the 1930s...... This book tells the story of his strange life and times and, using previously - secret British documents, points to the previously hidden and unsuspected causes of his downfall......
Walker in the Wilderness, The Life of R.J. Anketell, by Judith Anketell
ISBN 0 85905 243 5, (1988 new), Soft Cover, 196pp illustrated, HC 485grams, SC 340grams, HC $40.00 SC $30.00 + POST (An edition limited to 500 copies)
"We built no heroes, but we left no bones." - This remark, said by a colleague, sums up the meticulous planning and execution of the expeditions led by Richard John Anketell.
In Walker in the Wilderness the exploits of this engineer/surveyor are traced as he opened up large tracts of Australia. He is one of a band of intrepid public servants who lived and worked in inhospitable country beyond the bounds of civilisation. Whether looking for water for survival or negotiating with settlers for politicians his skills were tested and were all part of the job. His life's work is an important part of Western Australian history....
Saddle in the Kitchen, by Enga Smith
ISBN 0 85905 191 9, (1993 reprint of 1979 ed), Soft Cover, 140mm x 215mm, 91pp, illustrated, 150grams, $22.00 + Postage within Australia.
Saddle in the Kitchen will appeal to people of all ages who value a happy home and the simple pleasures of country life.
Enga Smith's 'Memories of a Childhood' evokes an atmosphere of love and tranquillity, whilst filling the days with a sense of wonder and adventure. This is an absorbing, beautifully observed and tenderly recorded account of a young girl's childhood on a Western Australian farm in the 1940's. Anyone with even a passing acquaintance with life in the bush will happily identify with the setting and incidents. Those who prefer just to read about it will find this account of a country childhood completely fascinationg. Saddle in the Kitchen is a classic of Australiana which will be read and re-read with pleasure for generations to come.
Youanmi: A History of Murchison Gold, by J. Hooper
ISBN 085905 104 8, 1987 New, Soft Cover, 188pp, illustrated, 250grams, $25.00 plus postage with Australia only
Youanmi, A Goldfield's town that grew from nothing in the desert, flowered and died. The history of the town, its mines and people
Yeeramukadoo - A Saga of the North West, by Nancy E Withnell Taylor
ISBN 0 85905 307 5, Reprint of 1987 edition with new material, Soft Cover, 254pp, illustrated, 340grams, $30.00 plus postage within Australia only
A history of the North West and Roebourne through the Hancock and Withnell families
Yalgoo, by Alex Palmer
ISBN 0 85905 261 3, 1990 Reprint of 1985 edition with new material, Soft Cover, 200pp, illustrated, 265grams, $22.00
The history of mining and pastoral stations in the Yalgoo district, east of Geraldton
Scarlet Pillows - an Australian Nurse's tale of long ago, by Mrs Arthur H Garnsey
ISBN 978 0 85905 039 5 (2009 Reprint), 151pp, illustrated, 220 grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia only
Mrs Garnsey was a nurse at Coolgardie amidst the rsh and typhoid. A bush classic.
Perched on the Rails, by Bruce Paterson
ISBN 0 85905 187 0, 1993 New, Soft Cover, 166pp, illustrated, 225grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia only
An essentially Australian autobiography of a pastoralist and his station life in three States. Set mainly in the North West of Australia. A great read in laconic style.
Packhorse & Waterhole, Gordon Buchanan
ISBN 0 85905 237 0, 1984 Reprintof 1933 ed. with new material, Soft Cover, 130pp, 180grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia.
The classic of Northern Territory pastoral exploration, Bluey Buchanan, old "Paraway", was one of Australia's greatest bushmen. His life story is told by his son who went with him on his later expedi
Luck was one of Western Australia's most experienced bushmen when he passed on his bush skills to David Carnegie, who later wrote the classic Spinifex and Sand. Luck writes of his life and experiences in the bush, camels, natives, prospecting, people, and more, in a fascinating story of the 1880s to 1930.
The Old Coach Roads to Cue and Beyond, by Alex Palmer
ISBN 0 85905 183 8, 1993 New, Soft Cover, 103pp, illustrated, 175grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia
The story of the tracks to the Murchison Goldfields and the people who made and lived at the wayside coach stations.
Nurses with Altitude,with Foreword by Tim Fischer
ISBN 9780 85905 441 6, Soft Cover, Section sewn, 264pages, 355gra,s. $35.00 plus postage within Austalia only.
A collection of stories by the nurses and their colleagues at the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Western Australia. Compiled by Gaye Richardson in conjunction with the Flight Nurse Reunion Committee. Probably the best book on the RFDS, written by the staff from their own experience.
Northern Patrol, by R.A. Pilmer
ISBN 0 85905 220 6, 1998 New, Soft Cover, 180pp, illustrated, 250grams, $22.00 plus postage within Australia only
Experiences of a mounted policeman in the Western Australian outback in the 1890s and early 1900s. Accounts of native murders, horse stealing, gold rushes, the outlaw Pidgeon, Canning Stock Route, Wiluna, Kimberley, and more.
Neergabby, by W. Bill de Burgh
ISBN 0 89505 324 5, 2003 reprint, Softcover, 227pp, illustrated, 330grams, $25.00 plus postage within Australia only
The history of Gingin, the surrounding area and its people.
The history of Nannup and its people. A new edition of this sought after history which had quickly sold out
The Goldfields Journal of William Diaper 1851-1853, (Alias Cannibal Jack), edited by William W. Emilsen
ISBN 0 86905 262 1, 1999 New, Hard Cover, 140pp, illustrated, 390grams, $45.00 plus postage within Australia only
This journal was discovered hidden behind a mirror in a theological college. It was written in ink made of charcoal and urine on old and foxed paper. This book is one of the most fascinating personal accounts of the great gold rush in New South Wales and Victoria. It will become an Australian Classic
