Let the Land Speak

by Jackie French

  Clendinnen, Inga (2003). Dancing with Strangers. Melbourne: Text Publishing.

  Collins, David and Fletcher, Brian H. (1975). An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, with Remarks on the Dispositions, Customs, Manners, etc. of the Native Inhabitants of That Country. Sydney: Reed, in association with the Royal Historical Society, London.

  Cook, Haruko Taya and Cook, Theodore Failor (1992). Japan at War: An Oral History. New York, NY: New Press.

  Corfield, Justin J., Gervasoni, Clare and Wickham, Dorothy (2004). The Eureka Encyclopaedia. Ballarat, Vic: Ballarat Heritage Services.

  Cribb, A.B., Cribb, J.W. and McCubbin, Charles (1987). Wild Food in Australia. Sydney: Fontana.

  Dalrymple, Alexander (1770). An Historical Collection of the Several Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean. London: Printed for the author and sold by J. Nourse, T. Payne and P. Elmsley.

  Donaldson, Susan Dale, Ellis, Patricia and Feary, Su (2012). NSW Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority Djuuwin Women’s Perspective on the Moruya Deua River Catchment. Draft Final Report. NSW Southern Rivers Catchment Management Authority.

  Eyre, Edward John (2010). Manners and Customs of the Aborigines and the State of Their Relations with European, from Volume II of Journals of Expeditions of Discovery into Central Australia. Adelaide: Friends of the State Library of South Australia.

  Flinders, Matthew, Westall, William and Brown, Robert (1814). A Voyage to Terra Australis: Undertaken for the Purpose of Completing the Discovery of That Vast Country, and Prosecuted in the Years 1801, 1802 and 1803, in His Majesty’s Ship The Investigator. London: G. and W. Nicol.

  Flood, Josephine (1980). The Moth Hunters: Aboriginal Prehistory of the Australian Alps. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.

  Flood, Josephine (1990). The Riches of Ancient Australia: A Journey into Prehistory. St Lucia, Qld: University of Queensland Press.

  Flood, Josephine (1995). Archaeology of the Dreamtime: The Story of Prehistoric Australia and Its People. Pymble, NSW: Angus and Robertson.

  Flood, Josephine (1996). Moth Hunters of the Australian Capital Territory: Aboriginal Traditional Life in the Canberra Region. Downer, ACT: J.M. Flood.

  Flood, Josephine (1997). Rock Art of the Dreamtime: Images of Ancient Australia. Pymble, NSW: Angus and Robertson.

  Flood, Josephine (2006). The Original Australians: Story of the Aboriginal People. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin.

  Frost, Alan (1993). Sir Joseph Banks and the Transfer of Plants to and from the South Pacific, 1786–1798. Melbourne: Colony Press.

  Frost, Alan (1994). Botany Bay Mirages: Illusions of Australia’s Convict Beginnings. Carlton, Vic: Melbourne University Press.

  Gammage, Bill (1974). The Broken Years: Australian Soldiers in the Great War. Canberra: Australian National University Press.

  Gammage, Bill (2011). The Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin.

  Goodall, Heather (1996). Invasion to Embassy: Land in Aboriginal Politics in New South Wales, 1770–1972. St Leonards, NSW: Allen and Unwin in association with Black Books.

  Groves, Colin P. (1989). A Theory of Human and Primate Evolution. Oxford and New York, NY: Oxford University Press and Clarendon Press.

  Ham, Paul (2004). Kokoda. Pymble, NSW: HarperCollins Publishers.

  Hardwick, Richard (2001). Nature’s Larder: A Field Guide to the Native Food Plants of the NSW South Coast. Jerrabomberra, NSW: Homosapien Books.

  Harris, Alexander (1964). Settlers and Convicts, or, Recollections of Sixteen Years’ Labour in the Australian Backwoods. Parkville, Vic: Melbourne University Press.

  Hasluck, Alexandra (1966). Portrait with Background: A Life of Georgiana Molloy. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

  Hegarty, M.P., Hegarty, E.E., and Wills, R.B.H. (2001). Food Safety of Australian Plant Bushfoods. Kingston, ACT: Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

  Holden, Robert (2000). Orphans of History: The Forgotten Children of the First Fleet. Melbourne: Text Publishing.

  Horton, David (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History, Society and Culture. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

  Isaacs, Jennifer (1987). Bush Food: Aboriginal Food and Herbal Medicine. McMahons Point, NSW: Weldons.

  Johnson, Samuel (1775). A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland. London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell.

  Johnston, Mark (1996). At the Front Line: Experiences of Australian Soldiers in World War II. Cambridge and Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

  Korzelinski, Seweryn and Robe, Stanley (1994). Life on the Goldfields: Memoirs of a Polish Migrant: 1850s in Victoria. Carnegie, Vic: Mentone Educational Centre.

  Lawson, Henry and Barnes, John (1986). The Penguin Henry Lawson Short Stories. Ringwood, Vic. and New York, NY: Penguin Books.

  Lawson, Henry, Kiernan, Brian and Cronin, Leonard (1984). A Camp-fire Yarn: Henry Lawson Complete Works, 1885–1900. Sydney: Lansdowne Press.

  Lawson, Henry and Wright, David McKee (1951). Poetical Works of Henry Lawson. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.

  Low, Tim (1989). Bush Tucker: Australia’s Wild Food Harvest. North Ryde, NSW: Angus and Robertson.

  Maiden, J.H. (1975). The Useful Native Plants of Australia (including Tasmania). Melbourne: Compendium.

  Meredith, Louisa Anne (1844). Notes and Sketches of New South Wales During a Residence in the Colony from 1839 to 1844. London: John Murray.

  Molony, John N. (2001). Eureka. Carlton South, Vic.: Melbourne University Press.

  Moorehead, Alan (1959). Gallipoli. London: Arrow Books.

  O’Brien, Bob and Huyghue, S.D.S. (1998). Massacre at Eureka: The Untold Story. Ballarat, Vic: Sovereign Hill Museums Association.

  Phillip, Arthur (1789). The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay; with an Account of the Establishment of the Colonies of Port Jackson & Norfolk Island; Compiled from Authentic Papers … London: John Stockdale.

  Plomley, N.J.B., Tassell, C.B. and Cameron, Mary (1993). Plant Foods of the Tasmanian Aborigines. Launceston, Tas: Queen Victoria Museum.

  Plumwood, Valerie and Sylvan, Richard (1975). The Fight for the Forests: The Takeover of Australian Forests for Pines, Wood Chips and Intensive Forestry. Canberra: Australian National University, Research School of Social Sciences.

  Renwick, Cath and the Wreck Bay community (2000). Geebungs and Snake Whistles: Koori People and Plants of Wreck Bay. Australian Heritage Commission for the Wreck Bay Community.

  Serle, G., Ritchie, J., Nairn, B., Pike, D., Cunneen, C., Langmore, D., Bennet, D., and Nolan, M. (1966). Australian Dictionary of Biography. Melbourne and London: Melbourne University Press and Cambridge University Press.

  Smith, Keith (1995). Keith Smith’s Classic Vegetable Catalogue. Port Melbourne, Vic.: Lothian Books,

  Smith, Keith, Smith, Irene and Norling, Beth (1999). Grow Your Own Bushfoods. Frenchs Forest, NSW: New Holland.

  Tasman, A.J. (1898). Abel Janszoon Tasman’s Journal of His Discovery of Van Diemen’s Land and New Zealand in 1642: With Documents Relating to His Exploration of Australia in 1644 … with an English Translation … to which Are Added Life and Labours of Abel … by J.E. Heeres … and Observations Made with the Compass … by W. van Bemmelen. Amsterdam: Frederik Muller.

  Tench, Watkin (1789). A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay: With an Account of New South Wales, Its Productions, Inhabitants, &c.: To Which Is Subjoined, a List of the Civil and Military Establishments at Port Jackson (Second edition). London: J. Debrett.

  Tench, Watkin & Flannery, Tim (2009). 1788: Comprising a Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay and a Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson. Melbourne: Text Publishing.

  Tench, Watkin (1793). A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson in New South Wales, including an Accurate Description of the Situation of the Colony; of th
e Natives; and of Its Natural Productions: Taken on the Spot. London: G. Nicol and J. Sewell.

  Tindale, Norman B. and Jones, Rhys (1974). Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: Their Terrain, Environmental Controls, Distribution, Limits and Proper Names. Canberra: Australian National University Press.

  Waverley Council and Australian Archaeological Survey Consultants Pty Ltd (1995). The Waverley Council Area: An Aboriginal Perspective. Sydney: Waverly Council.

  White, John (1790). Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales. Republished electronically by Project Gutenburg Australia. Retrieved 28 June, 2013.

  Zola, Nelly and Gott, Beth (1992). Koorie Plants, Koorie People: Traditional Aboriginal Food, Fibre and Healing Plants of Victoria. Melbourne: Koorie Heritage Trust.

  Maps

  Aboriginal Australia (2000), wall map, compiled by David Horton, third edition. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

  Journals

  Australasian Science

  ECOS (CSIRO Publishing)

  New Scientist

  Rural Research

  The Journal of the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

  For children

  The Dinkum History Series, published by Scholastic Books, illustrated by Peter Sheehan:

  Shipwreck, Sailors and 60,000 Years: Before 1788 (2006)

  Grim Crims and Convicts: 1788–1820 (2005)

  Rotters and Squatters: 1820–1850 (2007)

  Gold, Graves and Glory: 1850–1880 (2007)

  A Nation of Swaggies and Diggers: 1880–1920 (2008)

  Weevils, War and Wallabies: 1920–1945 (2009)

  Rockin’, Rollin’, Hair and Hippies: 1945–1972 (2010)

  Booms, Busts and Bushfires: Australia 1973–2011 (2011)

  Selected historical novels with backgrounds that feature in this book, all published by Angus and Robertson, Sydney, Australia:

  The Goat Who Sailed the World (the story of the goat on the Endeavour)

  The Camel Who Crossed Australia (the story of Dost Mohamet and the only camel to survive the Burke and Wills expedition)

  The Donkey Who Saved the Wounded (Gallipoli)

  The Night They Stormed Eureka

  A Rose for the Anzac Boys (World War I)

  Nanberry: Black Brother White (the story of the early Port Jackson colony)

  A Waltz for Matilda (set 1892–1915; Federation, women’s suffrage, the temperance movement, Indigenous knowledge)

  The Girl from Snowy River (1915–1919)

  The Road to Gundagai (1932; the depression in Australia)

  Pennies for Hitler (World War II)

  Refuge (60,000 years of migration to Australia)

  Acknowledgements

  This book is the product of a lifetime of gifts: knowledge, stories, research. It is impossible to even begin to acknowledge all the contributions made to it. Each statement should have at last six footnotes, making the footnotes far longer than the book.

  To start chronologically: to my grandfather, Dr Theophilous Edwards, who found a seven-year-old child grasping an observation of photosynthesis and provided her with the University of Sydney science courses; my grandmothers, Thelma Edwards, and Jean McPherson Ffrench, two of the indomitable ladies who changed our nation and its history; to my parents, Barrie Ffrench and Val French, whose stories, wisdom and analysis of their long lives and their times, as well as access to history books, have so enriched my life; to Dr Martin Sullivan, the history teacher who galloped into our high-school classroom and explained the French Revolution with such passion and insight that I saw history as patterns for the first time, not just names and dates; and to Professor Geoffrey Blainey and author Thomas Keneally, whose books sealed the passion; to Oodgeroo of the Noonuncle, who I knew as Kath Walker, Pastor Don Brady, Sam Watson senior, Maureen Watson (Auntie Mug) and so many of their communities, who ignored the colour of my skin and saw only the need for knowledge and belonging; to Neeta Davis, Bill Mather, Ellie, Jean Hobbins, Jack, Ned Wisbey, ‘Old Dusty’, my dear friend Val Plumwood and the many others, human and four-legged, who taught me how to see this land; to Angela Marshall, Noel Pratt, Fabia Pryor, without whose broad knowledge, research expertise and ever-generous friendship this and most of my historical fiction could never have been written; to Lisa Berryman (if an author was given a single wish, Lisa is the editor they would wish for), who made possible the writing of the many historical novels and the research that led me to this book; to Anne Edwards, who turned scrawled footnotes and queries like ‘date published? Who?’ into footnotes and bibliography; to my husband, Bryan Sullivan, who tolerates long declamations about forgotten niches of our history and even, sometimes, listens; to my son, and to my grandchildren and great nieces and nephews to come, the inheritors of our families’ past and the builders of its future; to the many I can no longer ask if they would allow their names to be mentioned: this book is as much yours as mine, with love and gratitude.

  This book would not have been written without the enthusiasm and guidance of Catherine Milne of HarperCollins and editor Simone Ford, nor hauled to publication date without the wonderful Katie Stackhouse of HarperCollins, who laboured beyond the call of duty.

  To say ‘thank you’ is inadequate. But, still: thank you.

  Searchable Terms

  The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use the search feature of your e-book reader.

  Abrolhos Islands 88

  adaptation 22, 26, 36, 400

  Adelaide 181

  agriculture see land use

  AIDS 396

  Alaska 121

  Albany (WA) 77–8, 201

  Alexander 130

  Alice Springs 202, 253, 318

  Alligator River area (NT) 15–16

  Angas, George Fife 181

  Antarctic Circle 120

  Anzac biscuits 257–9

  recipe 258

  Anzac legend 290–327 see also Gallipoli; ‘koala soldiers’; Kokoda; New Guinea

  anti-authoritarianism

  305–6

  attributes 300–3

  black humour 303–5

  diaries 303

  enlistment procedure and 295–7

  extreme conditions, familiarity with 297–300

  fitness 295

  larrikinism 325

  mateship 326–7

  occupations of Anzacs 296–7

  pilots 325–6

  propaganda 301–2

  shooting skills 295–6

  six-shilling tourists 306–7

  slang 305

  statistics 302–3

  tribalism 297

  Anzac Memorial Club 299

  Aotearoa see New Zealand

  Arabanoo 149–50, 159, 160

  Araluen Valley 6–7, 29, 35, 41, 60–2, 190, 213–14, 238–9, 267–9, 310, 311–12, 386–7

  Landcare movement 347–8

  rainfall prediction 340–1

  sheep, impact of 346

  Archibald, J.F. 266

  The Argus 221

  Arnhem 77

  Arnhem Land 24

  Arrente people 27, 45

  asteroids 397

  Atlantic Ocean 121, 132

  Austin, Thomas 276

  Australia

  assisted immigrants 178–9

  coastal winds 3–4, 14, 18, 20, 21, 64, 68–9, 77–8

  convicts 170–3

  depressions 186, 198–202, 278–9

  diet 241

  ecological diversity 8

  economy 373–4

  European landing, first written evidence 78

  European misunderstanding of conditions 4–7, 109–10, 124, 186

  extreme conditions 3–4, 22, 139, 189, 297–300, 334–5, 298

  food supplies 33–4 see also food

  grass, lack of 3–4, 20, 64, 69, 92, 116

  harbours 3–4, 20, 64, 67–8, 116, 134

  hi
storical isolation, reasons for 17–19, 21, 64

  Ice Age, impact 24–5

  industry subsidies 373–4

  Japanese threat in Second World War 315–18

  lucky country, becoming 404–5

  male/female ratio, impact 173, 179–80

  myths 5, 65–70

  national disasters, response to 339, 342

  national foods 241–63

  preconceptions and ideology 373–5

  rainfall 200, 203, 213–14, 237, 266–7, 268, 273, 328–9, 334–5, 340–1

  resources 391–2

  volcanic soil 18

  volunteers 339

  vulnerability 392–3

  water 116, 133 see also water sources/supplies

  women’s vote 284–5

  Australian Climate Commission 398, 400

  Australian Labor Party 264, 285, 286

  spelling 286

  Australian Labour Federation General Council 286

  Australian Lands Act 1846 202

  Australian Rules football 297

  Australian State of the Environment 2006 report 353

  Australian Women’s Suffrage Society 283

  Bacchante 293

  back-burning 56–7

  Ballarat goldfields 215–20 see also Eureka Stockade

  alcohol 221–3

  Bakery Hill Monster Meeting 225–6

  Gravel Pits 217, 228

  Joe’s traps 218–19

  Ballarat Reform League 223

  Ballarat Times 235

  banana farms 204

  Bank of Australia 201

  Banks, Joseph 1–2, 4–5, 38, 65, 76, 92, 96–7, 98, 99–100, 103, 106, 107, 108, 110–11, 112, 113, 120, 122, 124–6, 131, 132, 145, 201

  Barcoo rot 51, 204, 277

  bark humpies 27

  Baroong 151, 159

  Bass Strait 25, 197

  Batavia (Jakarta) 3, 65, 66, 81, 85, 86, 89, 104, 111, 113, 118, 119, 124, 143, 154, 164

  Batemans Bay 106

  Bates, Daisy 29

  Bathurst 210, 211

  Bay of Islands 103

  Bean, Charles 290, 302, 303, 304

  Bear, Corporal Lindsay 324

  Beckett, Richard 251

  Bellona 166

  Bendigo gold rush 212, 221

  Bennelong 159, 160

  Bentley, James 222–3

  bettongs 54, 135, 169, 276, 346, 349

  Bidjigal people 334

  biodiversity, preservation of 370