Blog

For those interested, a small selection of books read over the last three months of 2024, with my comments together with commentary and reviews of others in each instance. Books covered, which include a fairly strong historical flavour,  are:

• Woollahra: A History in Pictures by Eric Russell [1980];
• Dreams of Other Days by Elaine Crowley [1984] [an historical novel set during the period of the Irish famine];
• Boudica: The British Revolt against Rome AD60 by Graham Webster [1978];
• River Song by Di Morrissey [2024];
• Australian Foreign Affairs, Issues 22, October 2024: The Bad Guys: How To Deal With Our Illiberal Friends;
• Storm Tide by Wilbur Smith [with Tom Harper] [2022];
• Fearless by Jelena Dokic [2024];
• Flinders by Grantlee Kieza [2023];
• Flinders: The Man Who Mapped Australia by Rob Mundle [2012];
• Lawson: by Grantlee Kieza [2021].

14^th October

‘Woollahra – a history in pictures’  by Eric Russell, published in 1980, of 158 pages.  This book was given to my mother, Betty Kirk by her unmarried sister, Jean Knuckey, in the mid to late 1980s prior to Betty’s passing in May, 1990.

Woollahra is one of Sydney [NSW] oldest municipalities and includes the harbourside suburbs of Watsons Bay, Vaucluse, Point Piper, Darling Point, Double Bay, Bondi Junction, Edgecliff, and of course, Woollahra.

In particular, Vaucluse was the home of my Knuckey grandparents and their six children, and in more recent decades, my brother Robert & wife Evelyn, in Woollahra. For future ownership, I have dedicated and betrothed this book to Robert and his daughter, Yvonne, should they [in all likelihood] outlive the writer.

In this publication, Eric Russell, has put together a selection of colour and black & white historical photographs, maps, drawings, wood engravings and paintings to illustrate Woollahra as it was in times past, and up to the time of the book publication, 1980.

As described in the cover sheet – “Here are the rural landscapes of days long gone; streets and shops of yesterday; the revolution in public transport that began with cable cars and culminated in the Eastern Suburbs Railway; mansions of the great and famous, and humble cottages of the poor; and an interesting portrait gallery of residents. Memorable events, the sinking of the Dunbar, the Greycliffe ferry disaster, the wartime shelling of Bellevue Hill are recalled”. That wartime shelling – some went over the top of my mother’s family home where they lived at the top of Old North Head Road, opposite the infamous Gap on the South Head of Sydney Harbour.

I noted one US book seller described the book thus –   Many b/w & Some Colour Illust Very Good Hard Cover This compilation of photographs, maps, drawings, wood engravings and paintings shows Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs c 1841-1980. It looks at the rural landscapes, great estates, streets, public transport and historically significant residents. 

I have ventured around most of the areas covered in this book, although of course in more recent, decades, from the 1960s onwards, while there is much in the contents from which my Mother would have gained  many fond memories.

17^th October

An historical real life drama from Ireland –  ‘Dreams of Other Days’ by Elaine Crowley, published in 1984, 403 pages –  a very disturbing and tragic story in the main about the period in Ireland leading up to and during the potato famine   –  described as a very warm and moving novel depicting in all its rich beauty the magic of Ireland through the interwoven fortunes of two families, one aristocratic, one poor, together with all the tragic grief and devastation of the nearby village and its people under the shadow of the failed potato crops and subsequent famine.    In addition, the difficulties and cruelty existing under the rule of English overlords, and the disparity, and display of almost hatred between the Catholic and Protestant communities are all revealed.

I don’t recall how this book originally came into my possession, I’ve had it for many years, and a couple of weeks ago, with my general interest in the history of countries around the world, I decided to read it. From that one aspect of Irish history, it was not a particularly pleasant novel to read, but at the same time,  a necessary eye-opener to the events of that time of which I had previously had only  a broad general knowledge of. This novel brought the tragedy of that time into real focus.

The basic synopsis  –  When Katy O’Donnell marries handsome, swaggering, hard-drinking Jamie O’Hara she is as fresh and filled with dreams as her mistress, Catherine Kilgoran, marrying in silk and lace up at the big house. But dreams and reality are sometimes a world apart… Dreams of Other Days is the story of two families of whose fortunes are inextricably linked, and of a small, close-knit Irish community bound together by tradition and by tragedy. It is also a tender and truthful portrayal of a marriage and of a woman whose indomitable spirit remains unbowed. By the bestselling author of ‘The Ways of Women’, this is a powerful and richly imagined novel which sweeps the reader back to the time of the great Irish famine, a time of courage, passion and upheaval.

25^th October

Today, I finished reading ‘Boudica:  The British Revolt against Rome in AD 60’ by Graham Webster, [published in 1978, 152 pages].  As the title indicates, under Dr Webster’s ‘skilled examination of the written and archaeological evidence, the details of the Revolt, and the critical events leading up to it, are painstakingly pierced together’.

I purchased this edition, as far as I can recall, from ‘Book Club Associates; [no longer existing], probably early in the 1980’s, and somehow had not got around to reading it. My initial disappointment – I’d believed the book aimed to concentrate on the actual life of Boudica, but she in fact is only referred almost as a side note in the story of the Revolt, the actual description of which is dealt with over just a few pages. The main emphasise of Webster’s writing concentrates on the initial Roman advance into Britain under Caesar in 54BC through to the period of the Revolt, with a detailed examination of the archaeological evidence of the Roman presence in Britain between mainly 54BC and 60AD together with the availability of what written records made during that period by the contemporary writer, Tacitus [author of the ‘Annals’ of that period, and a Roman historian and politician, born around 56AD]. Still, while extremely interesting, however, as indicated, not quite what I was expecting.

In basic precis – Queen Boudica, leader of the Iceni, revolted against the Romans in AD60 only to have her efforts avenged by a humiliated Roman army. This lively and fascinating book examines in detail the evidence and theories which surround these events.  From the book’s promotional material, it describes “Following Caesar’s expeditions in 54 BC, Britain was invaded and effectively subdued under the Emperor Claudius in AD 40. But the peace was an uneasy one and in AD 60 the Iceni, encouraged by the Druids in Anglesey, erupted in revolt. In rapid succession they sacked Camulodunum [Colchester], Londinium and Verulamium [St. Albans]. A massive pitched battle followed, somewhere in the Midlands [perhaps at Manchester], on Watling Street, in which the Roman military machine avenged this humiliating and disastrous setback to its colonization of Britain.’

The author, Graham Webster is one of Britain’s most eminent archaeologists, with a long and distinguished career which earned him an OBE. He has directed major excavations at Romano-British sites and has specialised in Roman Britain and the Roman imperial army. My other reservation – with this book published in 1978, it is obvious that much more advanced research and findings regarding evidence of the Roman occupation have been achieved since then.

As indicated also by the following brief quote from page 116, research at that time, and no doubt since was always going to be limited by modern developments, buildings, roadworks, etc.  Writing about one particular finding, Webster notes that ‘The whole of this area up to the edge of the Castle ditch should have been acquired and added to the Castle Park for the better public appreciation of this centre of the Imperial cult in Britain – but, as usual, commercial profit took precedence over the public good’

In similar vein, we read on page 120:

“Digging in London has always been more difficult than any other British city because there has been a greater intensity of occupation and rebuilding. Whereas one normally reaches Roman levels eight to ten feet below present ground level, in London one has usually to go down to twenty feet. One hopefully excavates in this city, at great cost to this depth, only to find, almost invariably, that a very small fraction of the area has any surviving Roman levels’.

And finally, as the author admits at the very end – ‘There are elements of all these things in the story of the events of AD 60, although much of it is misted over by lack of precise information’.

I was unable to find much in the way of a professional review of this book, so the above will have to suffice.

30^th October 2024

River Song by Di Morrisey, published in 2024, 390 pages.   This was Di’s 30^th Novel, of which I currently possess and have read 27 of them, still chasing up the missing three. The basic headline promotion – Four women win the lottery and suddenly everything changes.

In summary – The arrival of a hotshot New York composer brings a rare touch of glamour and excitement to the peaceful country town of Fig Tree River. For Leonie, Madison, Sarita and Chrissie, four women involved in the local musical theatre, it’s a welcome distraction from the pressures of daily life.  Then a lottery ticket, bought together on impulse, changes everything.  The winnings, shared between the four friends, are all they ever hoped for … and all they ever feared, bringing dreams, dilemmas and disaster.  When their new lives start to fall apart, will the women have the strength to find the song inside their hearts once more?

After a slow start, the story begins to liven up a little as we begin to connect all of the main characters into a sequence of relationships   – although it is only once we see the benefits and/or consequences of the lottery win, that it is obvious that all has not been as it seemed initially. A fast moving, and in some respect, a not un-anticipated outcome by the end of the book. 

I guess that after 30 novels, it must at times be difficult to come up with a new storyline, however, Di Morrissey AM has proved to be one of the most successful and prolific authors Australia has ever produced, publishing twenty-nine [now thirty] bestselling novels. She trained as a journalist, working in newspapers, magazines, television, film, theatre and advertising around the world. Her fascination with different countries, their cultural, political and environmental issues, has been the catalyst for her novels, which are all inspired by a particular landscape. In 2017, in recognition of her achievements, Di was inducted into the Australian Book Industry Awards Hall of Fame with the prestigious Lloyd O’Neil Award. In 2019, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia.

In November, 2012, I attended a book launch by Di Morrisey at what I think was her 20^th novel, ‘The Golden Land’, at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. I think at the time, I already had a copy of that particular book which she kindly signed on that occasion.

31^st October 2024

On this date, I finished reading ‘The Australian Foreign Affairs, Issue 22 of October 2024:  The Bad Guys: how to deal with our Illiberal friends.

Certainly, plenty to think about regarding our Asian neighbours, and Australia’s future inter-actions with them

This 22^nd issue of Australian Foreign Affairs examined the consequences for Australia as some of its most important friends and partners – including India, Indonesia and the United States – shift towards authoritarianism and illiberalism. As Donald Trump seeks to return to the White House, “The Bad Guys” looks at how Australia should deal with ostensibly like-minded countries that are sliding away from democracy and how to respond to the leaders overseeing this dangerous and unpredictable turn. Subsequent to reading thus issue of course, Donald Trump has been re-elected to be the President of the USA.

The major essays in Issue 22 include:

• Michael Wesley examines the rise and tactics of the strongman leader, a broad look at the rise of such personalities over recent years, described as a Fateful mix: great powers, strongman leaders and manifest destinies;
• Malcolm Turnbull [former Australian PM] examines the potential second coming [now arrived] of Donald Trump, and how Australia and others should deal with him; he concludes with the suggestion ‘The leaders of America’s friends and allies, including Australia, will be among the few who can speak truthfully to Trump. He can shout at them, embarrass then, even threaten them. But he cannot fire them.  Their character, courage and candour may be the most important aid they can render to the United States, ‘under the second age of Trump”.  
• Jacqui Baker looks at the ‘new’ power in Indonesia, as Prabowo Subianto took over the presidency on the 20 October past, described in the essay as part of a family ‘born to rule’; the author explores the character and career of the new president, and to some degree, I found this a rather disturbing biographical scenario; the essential point Baker makes in conclusion, is that in order to confront Indonesia’s political future, Australia must return to the ‘shared history’ of goodwill and relations between the two nations, which she describes as existing ‘beneath a sometimes fickle political and economic relationship’.
• Priya Chacko looks at the Indian PM, Modi in an essay titled ‘The Illusionist : Exposing the Modi Cult’, this to myself was an even more scarier exposition of the Indian leader, through what I felt was a harsh [though perhaps justifiable] look at Modi and his policies in what some would describe as an ‘autocratic India’ in what has long being a flawed democracy in the view of the writer. Modi, who has been described as having a penchant for speaking of himself in the third person [as in his first speech as a third-term prime minister], where in a two-hour speech, he beat his chest to declare that ‘Modi is still strong’, despite losing his parliamentary majority – ‘All criticisms of his government were labelled the anti-national conspiracies of an eco-system determined to derail India’s progress’. Chako concludes by noting that ‘Australia should not jeopardise its sovereignty and the international rules-based order by perpetuating the Modi illusion through silence and pandering’.

Referring back to the Jacqui essay, there were a number of powerful responses to the principal essay in AFA Issue 21 by Sam Roggeveen titled ‘United Front: Australia needs a military alliance with Indonesia’. The subsequent correspondents generally had many reservations about such proposals. A couple of pertinent comments were:

• When Widodo addressed the Australian parliament in 2020, then Opposition leader Anthony Albanese referred to Indonesia as a blossoming multi-party democracy. Such terminology is increasingly out of place in the bilateral relationship. Indeed, given the historical human rights allegations against Prabowo, it is unlikely that he will be afforded the honour of a parliamentary address in Australia. His track record suggests Indonesian democracy is unlikely to improve under his watch, and could even decline further [Robert Law];
• But when I think back, my clearest memory is the shift I saw over the decade: a clear sense of Australia becoming less and less relevant to Indonesia……I remember one participant putting it starkly after Australia had been headed by five prime ministers in ten years ‘You think of us as poor and politically unstable, but isn’t it the other way around now?’ [Melissa Conley Tyler];
• Australia needs Indonesia more than vice versa [John Blaxland];
• Roggeveen acknowledges that ‘…all make the same observation: Australia needs Indonesia more than the other way around, so what’s in this proposal for Indonesia?  They have found a weak spot in my argument [for a military alliance], because the attractiveness of this deal for Jakarta will diminish as Indonesia grows’.

10^th November

Storm Tide by Wilbur Smith [with Tom Harper], published in 2022, with 457 pages. Another page-turning thrilling adventure from the master story-teller, although as I’ve noted in recent readings of his books, the frequent violence depicted therein ‘disturbs’ me more than it ever used to – and certainly, as always there is no shortage of violence in this edition.

In this continuation of the Courtney family saga, the Courtney family is torn apart as three generations fight on opposing sides of a terrible war that will change the face of the world forever.

1774. Rob Courtney has spent his whole life in a quiet trading outpost on the east coast of Africa, dreaming of a life of adventure at sea. When his grandfather Jim dies, Rob takes his chance and stows away on a ship as it sails to England, with only the family heirloom, the Neptune Sword, to his name.
Arriving in London, Rob is seduced by the charms of the big city and soon finds himself desperate and penniless. That is until the navy comes calling and Rob is sent across the Atlantic on a ship to join the war against the rebellious American colonists.
But on the other side of the Atlantic, unbeknownst to Rob, his distant cousins Cal and Aidan Courtney are leading a campaign against the British. Their one desire is American independence, and they are determined to drive the British out of America – by whatever means necessary. . .
A powerful new historical thriller by the master of adventure fiction, Wilbur Smith, of families divided and a country on the brink of revolution.

14^th November

This afternoon, sitting out in the sun, I finished reading ‘Fearless’ by Jelena Dokic, published in 2023, 263 pages.  This was a follow up to her 2015 book ‘Unbreakable’ in which she revealed the trauma and violence imposed upon her by her father when she was a child and teenager.  In this autographed copy, Jelena reveals life after her father and the ways in which she has, and her readers can, reclaim life when all feels lost.  While I found much in the book to be of a slightly repetitive nature, nevertheless, the similar themes were a necessary outcome and/or consequential remedy of the many areas of concern Jelena reflects on throughout the book – demons she has faced head-on and now deals with them though public speaking and lectures, and her writing – all aimed at helping others to find their voice and the power to thrive. But as she points out right at the beginning – ‘I want this to be a book you pick up when you are going through a hard time – but this is not a self-help book. And please remember: while I was good with a tennis racquet, I am not in any sense a qualified counsellor so I advise you to seek advice from a professional if you are suffering. Some truly great mental health professionals saved my life, several times. I want to make a point I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or a mental health expert – these are just my personal experiences and lessons’ [page 11].

Some of the areas covered through the various chapters of Jelena’s life story – The power of speaking up; Body image; Mental health; Diagnosis; The media; Social-media and community, and calling it out; Heartbreak; Commentating the tennis for Channel 9; Belief; Fighting for equality; Shattering stigmas; Happiness, healing and kindness; and Gratitude.

Throughout the book, Jelena reminds us of the influence of her father’s actions [as revealed in full in ‘Unbreakable’] that would bring about so much of the trauma of her later years, one example – her loss as a 17-year-old in the Wimbledon semi-final in 2000, which she felt, just getting to that stage was a pleasing result.  But not in the eyes of her father, when she finally tracked him down on the phone.  “He was furious I’d lost. His voice boomed down the phone: ‘You are pathetic, you are a hopeless cow, you are not to come home. You are a loser. Do not come back to the hotel.’ Then he hung up. I slept in the grounds of Wimbledon’ [page 76].  Would the public have discovered that?  Unlikely, because during her tennis career Jelena never revealed anything about her father’s physical and emotional violence, and as she reveals in this book, one of the most difficult questions she faced later in life was ‘Why didn’t you tell someone?’   – ‘For years I barely told a soul the truth. I was raised to say nothing, to keep secrets, to trust absolutely no one.  I was controlled to within an inch of my life. I knew too early it was best not to share any hurt I was feeling. The secrets began when my father started hitting me’ [at aged 6 years] ‘From the age six I was beaten, from the age of eleven, I’d had it drilled into me, ‘You’re a cow’, from the age of thirteen it was ‘You’re a whore’. Imagine what that does to your self-esteem and confidence’ [page 170].

Writing in 2023 about domestic violence and speaking up – “Swollen, bruised and bleeding shins from being beaten and kicked all night with sharp shoes right into my shins for losing a match”.   –  The kind of posts that Jelena inserts throughout the book, posts which have resonated and impacted a lot of people by the manner in which she describes with help and support, in later years, how she had moved on, with the hope of giving inspiration to others, and initiating conversations about difficult issues

Jelena Dokic concludes her book with the words “Remember, there is strength in being vulnerable. Never let anyone put you down; always continue fighting; never give up on your dreams, and most importantly on yourself.  Hang in there.”

10 December 2024

A touch of history  –  ‘Flinders’ by Grantlee Kieza, published in 2023, with 440 pages.

This book brilliantly portrays the extraordinary life, loves and voyages of the man who put Australia on the map  – Matthew Flinders [1774-1814], and in Kieza’s true style, provides an educational but easily read and enjoyable biography of the man who has had  so many buildings, monuments etc, named after him here in Australia [not the least of which is Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station].

Flinders is the story of a man with a very complicated life who did whatever was necessary to achieve his goals. His personal life also made very interesting reading. ‘Flinders’ is not only about his sailing achievements, nor is it a dry biography that mainly focuses on historical details, but also documents his personal life, including his very strong love for  his wife, Ann, and his life-long friendships   – such as his sailing and exploring associates, scientists like Sir Joseph Banks, the early Governors of NSW in the early decades of European and convict settlement,  even some of his French’ enemies where he was ‘imprisoned’ for so any years on the island of Mauritius.

I had to agree completely with one reviewer who wrote that “I love Grantlee Kieza’s writing, and the way he brings his subjects to life. I’ve read many of his books and loved them all. All I knew about Matthew Flinders before reading this book, was that he mapped the coastline of Australia, and his cat sailed with him. I now realise that the story of this amazing explorer and sailor is much more than that”. 

A summarised description of his life and work reads as follows…………..In 1810, Matthew Flinders made his final voyage home to his beloved wife, Ann, his body ravaged by the deprivations of years of imprisonment by the French. Four years later, at the age of just 40, he would be dead – a premature, tragic end to one of the world’s greatest maritime adventurers who circumnavigated and mapped the famed Great Southern Land, and whose naming of the vast continent would become its modern Australia.
Flinders took to the sea at age 16, inspired by the story of Robinson Crusoe and the adventures of Captain Cook, swiftly climbing the ranks to fight in a decisive naval battle of the French Revolutionary wars. After sailing to Tahiti with William Bligh, Flinders was drawn to adventure, and by 1801 he was in command of an expedition to uncover the true nature of the great continent of the southern-ocean.
This sweeping biography tells the story of the fearless, sharp-eyed, handsome Flinders and how he became one of the world’s most intrepid explorers. It’s a story of a great love for the sea, for connection and of friendship – accompanied by his Aboriginal interpreter and guide, Kuringgai man Bungaree, and his beloved rescue cat, Trim, Flinders explored the furthest reaches and rugged coastlines of Australia. It’s also a story of technical brilliance – Flinders’ meticulous charts gave us the first complete maps of our continent, which are so accurate they are still used today.
But rushing home to England to his adored wife, Ann, Flinders was trapped and incarcerated off the coast of Africa as a prisoner of war, ultimately denied celebration of his great achievement. His love for Ann, and his fight to escape his bonds to be with her again was the last great adventure of a fascinating life.

No, it’s not a novel, but in reading, almost as difficult to put aside!

Some selected notes from various sources and authors

• Flinders enforced extended stay in captivity on Mauritius (1803-1810) because of world politics is dealt with in great detail by Kieza, as have other authors of this explorer.
• Between 1791 and 1803 Flinders participated in major voyages of exploration, most notably the expedition with George Bass that verified Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania ) was definitely an island
• Flinders also led the first inshore circumnavigation of mainland Australia and is credited as being the first person to utilise the name Australia for our country.
• He has an island and a university named after him and several statues erected in his honour both here in Australia and the UK.
• Flinders is revealed as being tenacious, courageous, resourceful and intelligent yet also proud, stubborn and conservative in some ways.
• We learn he was musical (he played the flute) and an aurilophile (The cat Trim!) He survived shipwrecks and captivity.
• Much of the material in the book has come via Flinders’ private journal, in addition to sources such as the official Captain’s log, letters, maps etc.’, and with reference to other biographies by authors such as Gillian Dooley, Rob Mundle, and others.
• As well as a seaman and explorer, Flinders was a writer, researcher, a son, a brother, a father (though his daughter was only two years old when he died], while at the same time, a loving husband to Ann his wife and a friend, even though throughout this book, his life is so often depicted at putting the advancement of his career and research at the forefront. Yet Flinders’ parents, are always within his thoughts – Matthew senior and mother Susannah, his step-mother and assorted siblings, together with his relationship with his wife Ann, from whom he will be separated for more than a decade soon after they were married
• We learn about his many friendships, for eg, with Sir Joseph Banks , who has been described by some as his patron , and Flinders used his library when back in London ) and also with Madame d’Arifat , the brothers Pitot and Charles Baudin on Mauritius and others whilst he was in captivity.
• Brief reference is made to the likely fate of his friend George Bass, who on a venture to South America, disappeared,  was never to be seen again, the fate of many a sailing vessel in those times. I believe Kieza has written a separate biography on the life of George Bass which I must seek out.
• In Dooley’s book, we read of his thoughts about slavery (he had no qualms) and also in particular how he viewed the various interactions between the First Peoples both in Australia and elsewhere (his views were typical of the era) and while how he loved the island of Timor, he was a bit snobbish about the native inhabitants. Also, he had no hesitation in punishing his crew if necessary, and many of these aspects are revealed in Kieza’s excellent biography.

Comments

Dianne Carroll:  I think we must be channelling somehow Bill. I have recently finished this fascinating book, borrowed from the excellent BMI library. Friends recently returned from a cruise around Australia and I said it appeared to be far more luxurious than what poor Mr Flinders endured, decided to have a proper read up on him after that, the biography was just a great work. Didn’t realise he died at such an early age.

Myself:  Dianne, yes, his early death not helped by 6 years as an innocent prisoner of the French before he finally got back home, was still finishing his book of exploration right up until his death. But didn’t live to see it published. I’m an odd bod haha [see following] but am actually reading another biography of him by Rob Mundle, slightly different emphasise but just as fascinating, even to the point of recognising parts around the Aussie coast that he first discovered and named etc, never after himself.

Dianne:  Bill, I continue to find myself reading these tomes but in my head looking at the dates and figuring where and what my lot were doing at the same time.. 

14^th December

I’ve followed the previously mentioned book with ‘Flinders: The Man Who Mapped Australia’ by Rob Mundle, published in 2012, 386 pages, and would like to briefly comment on it.

Again, an excellent biography of Matthew Flinders, written a decade earlier than the Grantlee Kieza version.  Obviously covering much of the same ground and material, but with a slightly different overall approach.  On this occasion, a little less written about his personal family life, though that is certainly not neglected. What stood out for myself – Mundle, has for some half a century combined his passions for writing and sailing, he is a competitive yachtsman, the winner of many sailing championships whose family heritage is with the sea, dating back to his great-great grandfather who was the master of square riggers. So, it is no surprise that when writing about someone like Flinders, and the ships of his time, we are treated to some amazing descriptions of the intricacies of the sailing ships and their makeup from those times. At the end of the book, he has included a tightly packed five-page Glossary of mostly maritime terms from the history of the sailing ships of that period.

To remind readers – ‘Flinders was famous for his meticulous charts and superb navigational skills, Flinders was a bloody good sailor. He battled treacherous conditions in a boat hardly seaworthy, faced the loss of a number of his crewmen and, following a shipwreck on a reef off the Queensland coast, navigated the ship’s cutter over 1000 kilometres back to Sydney to get help’.

I couldn’t help but notice that so many of the ships on which he sailed developed ‘leaks’ due to faulty timber and/or workmanship –  but in most cases he kept sailing [until a suitable location could be found to attempt repairs] with the need for constant ‘bailing out’ by crew members, to basically keep the ships afloat, and on occasions, changed the course on which they were sailing in order to avoid the worst storm conditions which threatened to break his leaky ship apart at the cost of all on board.

As Mundle writes near the end of his story – “The reality is that Flinders during his all too brief life, demonstrated a personal genius that went well beyond that of a great explorer. His attention to detail and clarity of observation during every expedition were beyond compare, as was his seamanship and care for his men, but of equal significance was his contribution to the science of navigation…….[and]….That brilliance was obvious in his research into the cause and effect of variations in a ship’s compass, and the relationship between the rise and fall of the barometer and the direction and strength of the wind” [pp.356-57]. 

On so many occasions, that latter quotation is typical of the detailed technical descriptions of the hazards and problems faced by the sailing ships of Flinders’ time   – an era in which, without the modern means of communications we enjoy today, so many ships were lost without trace, or the awareness of their loss may not have been revealed for a year or more.

As with Kieza, Rob Mundle brings Matthew Flinders fascinating story to life from the heroism and drama of shipwreck, imprisonment and long voyages in appalling conditions, to the heartbreak of being separated from his beloved wife for most of their married life. 

For those interested in the European history and discovery of Australia [not forgetting the original Australians who were here for thousands of years previously] these two books are a fascinating way of learning about your favourite spots around the coastlines of mainland Australia, and of Tasmania, and how they were first seen and ‘named’ by Flinders and others of his ilk in those early days of the colonisation at Sydney Cove.

27^th December

Lawson, by Grantlee Kieza [published in 2021, 506 pages] –  a very detailed and insightful biography of Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson [1867-1922]  who was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary, Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period and is often called Australia’s “greatest short story writer”.

From Wikipedia we read that, as ‘vocal nationalist and republican, Lawson regularly contributed to The Bulletin magazine, and many of his works helped popularise the Australian vernacular in fiction. He wrote prolifically into the 1890s, after which his output declined, in part due to struggles with alcoholism and mental illness. At times destitute, he spent periods in Sydney’s Darlinghurst Gaol and psychiatric institutions. After he died in 1922 following a cerebral haemorrhage, Lawson became the first Australian writer to be granted a state funeral. 

He was the son of the poet, publisher and feminist Louisa Lawson” [with whom as the biography reveals he had a somewhat fractured relationship].

I have always been a fan of Lawson’s poetry, and over my final few years, often played the Queensland Tiger’s vocal and musical versions of many of Lawson’s best-known poems. However, reading this biography brought out what was a fascinating and detailed insight into what in many ways was a shockingly precarious life of this talented but deeply ‘injured’ individual!

A selection of quotations from Kieza’s book demonstrate this.

• Lawson’s moods could change dramatically from hilarity to sombre self-recrimination…….His writing reflected his bipolarity. His jingoism was offset by his republican socialism; his bohemianism by a puritan hangover from childhood; his sympathy for downtrodden women, particularly bush-women, by occasional virulent anti-feminism forged by the bitterness of his separation; his notions  of a brotherhood of man by rampant xenophobia and racism. He confessed a hatred for the dry, harsh landscape of dirty brown rivers and an ill-disciplined people at the same time as he became a hopelessly ill-disciplined addict. [page 345];
• ‘The truth about Lawson is that he was the life-long victim of sordid circumstances’, Brady wrote years later. ‘With greater leisure and better payment for his output he would have gone further. Outsiders have said that he liked the life of the hard-up and the drinker, which is a damned lie. He enjoyed it no more than a skylark enjoys a cage’ [page 387];
• He pestered The Bulletin staff so much that on another occasion Jimmy Edmond ran him downstairs and gave him a shilling to go away. As he went off to buy a drink with the shilling, Lawson told the Bulletin editor in a slur ‘you’re touchy Jimmy – too sensitive and emotional’ [page 395];
• Between 1916 and 1917 Lawson actually earned about 600 Pound from his writing, enough to buy a house in Marrickville or Woolloomooloo if he had saved the pennies [page 408];
• Ted Brady thundered at the recognition coming for his friend so many years too late, noting that the cost of the monument [a statue of Lawson in Sydney’s Domain] 1700 Pound, could have sustained Lawson for a decade and kept him out of Darlinghurst Gaol. ‘It makes me sick’, Brady wrote, ‘this posthumous exaltation of a writer, who was scorned and exploited while living, and whose value was only recognised after he was well underground’ [pages 436-437].

In writing of the extraordinary rise, devastating fall and enduring legacy of an Australian icon, Kieza’s portrayal of Lawson was described in the following manner in most publication publicity of the biography.

Henry Lawson captured the heart and soul of Australia and its people with greater clarity and truth than any writer before him. Born on the goldfields in 1867, he became the voice of ordinary Australians, recording the hopes, dreams and struggles of bush battlers and slum dwellers, of fierce independent women, foreign fathers and larrikin mates.
Lawson wrote from the heart, documenting what he saw from his earliest days as a poor, lonely, handicapped boy with warring parents on a worthless farm, to his years as a literary lion, then as a hopeless addict cadging for drinks on the streets, and eventually as a prison inmate, locked up in a tiny cell beside murderers. A controversial figure today, he was one of the first writers to shine a light on the hardships faced by Australia’s hard-toiling wives and mothers, and among the first to portray, with sympathy, the despair of Indigenous Australians at the ever-encroaching European tide. His heroic figures such as The Drover’s Wife and the fearless unionists striking out for a better deal helped define Australia’s character, and while still a young man, his storytelling drew comparisons on the world stage with Tolstoy, Gorky and Kipling.   But Henry Lawson’s own life may have been the most compelling saga of all, a heart-breaking tale of brilliance, lost love, self-destruction and madness.

Kieza’s book reveals so much of more sordid side of Lawson’s life which in reality dominated such a large period of his existence, and the many times he ended up in prison for non-payment of maintenance to his estranged wife, not because he didn’t want to pay her, but because he simply didn’t have any money, or on the many occasions he was given small amounts as advances on future works, those advances were inevitably ‘drunk’ before they could be used for the ‘stated’ purposes.

I feel that one individual review I came across almost reflected my own feelings as I read this book, so I’ve copied it below – written by ‘Jennifer’s Best Bookish Blog, it says: –

‘The author definitely tells the story of the life of Henry Lawson, warts and all. There is no glossing over his heavy drinking and the problems he faced in his life, many caused by himself. I have been a fan of Henry Lawson since we read The Drovers Wife at school. I come back to his short stories quite often and always enjoy them, but have never really given much thought to his life. I found it very sad to read about his life, in fact this book brought me to tears in many places.  Henry Lawson is an icon in Australia, but he was flawed, and those flaws are laid out in the book. I really enjoyed reading the back story to his short stories – where he got his ideas from, who might have prompted them, and why he wrote them.  For a fan of Henry Lawson, this book is gold. If you’re not a fan, or not aware of his works, I’m sure you would still enjoy this very well researched book, about a man who had a weakness, but who also had a huge talent for writing.  I would recommend Lawson, without any hesitation at all, as an unputdownable read’.   More than 60 pages of bibliography and references included.

There was amongst many other aspects of the book, some interesting comparisons between Henry Lawson and his contemporary equally famous poet, and in many ways, his life-long rival – one, Banjo Paterson [Andrew Barton Paterson, 1864-1941]. Again, I take the liberty of a few quotations from Kieza’s book.

• While the great debate raged, the glaring disparities between Paterson’s affluent lifestyle and Lawson’s dangerous slides into depression were never more obvious. Lawson began to haunt Archibald’s office smelling of booze and telling him of all the characters he had met drinking at The Rocks. It seemed that whatever money Lawson had was going on booze as he tried to dull his inner pain. Even Lawson’s clothes were falling apart…..[page 148];

[With respect to the Archibald mentioned – The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J.F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919. During their association, he attempted to give considerable support to Lawson.]

• Lawson did not see Australia through the same rose-tinted glasses worn by ‘The Banjo’. He claimed Paterson was selling an illusion that elevated the drover, the stockman and the rouseabout to demi-gods, and that he had turned the harsh, unyielding bush into an Australian fantasyland.,…………………In ‘The Drover’s Wife’, Lawson could have been telling the story of Paterson’s mother Rose, who struggled through most of her short life on remote bush properties in danger and despair, bringing up her children while her husband was away riding fences or droving. Paterson carefully concealed his own family trauma, though, including the death of his broken-down, worn-out father from an overdose of the opium-based medication laudanum that he was using to dilute the pain of his constant lumbago. Lawson was far more forthcoming about the trauma he experienced in a bush family, using its quirks and misfortunes for material. [pages 142-143].  
• The artist Norman Lindsay, who knew them both, said Banjo compacted in himself the best of the Australian ego’, the rugged outdoorsman who regarded ‘life as a high adventure in action, even to the risk of a broken neck’. Much of Banjo’s writing was outrageous fun as he had a lot to love about life. Not only did he have a successful legal practice, he mixed in the upper echelons of society and, with a beautiful fiancée, had none of Lawson’s reserve around women.  He was a strapping athlete; a champion rower, tennis player and amateur jockey who played polo, and was once described as ‘one of the keenest of sportsmen, a dashing cross-country rider, thin, wiry and hard as nails.’  Lawson, by contrast, was pale and sickly, and handicapped by his deafness and his domineering mother. He saw pain and suffering in the bush battler’s eternal struggle against the unyielding elements. Norman Lindsay said that Lawson’s Australia reflected his own demons, his own sadness ‘sodden with self-pity…that of the underdog’. [page 98];
• Lawson sought refuge in the Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital on the Parramatta River at Concord, an institution funded by a wealthy family which has just welcomed Banjo Paterson unto their fold as the new husband of the lovely Alice Walker, a station owner’s daughter from Tenterfield .[at the same time, Banjo]….had also just being appointed the editor of the major Australian newspaper the Evening News. The contrast with Lawson’s lot in life could not have been starker. [page 335].

And yet despite all of the above ‘shortcomings’  –  alcoholism, mental health issues, often homeless, and penniless  –  Henry Lawson ‘has been remembered in festivals and place names around Australia, and a museum at Gulgong.  His work has been honoured with postage stamps, and from 1986 until 1993 his face featured on the ten-dollar note, until Banjo Paterson scored another point by usurping him’ [page 438].

As the reviewer, Jennifer, suggested above, I would also recommend Lawson, without any hesitation at all, as an education and revelation about the real man whose many poems and stories reflected the lives of both himself and those friends, family and associates closest to him.

Bill Kirk.