Originally Posted by ozzieeagle

There was a fantastic movie about life for women in the bush in the 50's last year, tounge in cheek but if gives you a bit of a flavour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPCyjqGH914

God I love Aussie movies, they are so bright and positive.... This one and Death in Brunswick kind of epitomise what I love about them.

Originally Posted by Kim67

Neville Shute wrote A Town Like Alice about his experience in Changi.

Originally Posted by Gordon Barlow

It was a great book, and a great movie too. It's time I read the book again, from the library. (Just on a point of detail, though: Shute's story was set in mainland Malaya, if I recall - not Singapore. Was Joe the hero sent to Changi after being punished? You're more likely to be right than I am, but let me know, if you would.)

Wonderful photos! Thanks for sharing them.

Originally Posted by Kim67

And a couple more.

My Gran and Great Gran with my dad and his aunts picking wildflowers in Wiluna in the late 20's. My parents and brother on holidays in the big smoke (Perth in the 1950's), My Gran and Great Gran with a pet galah in Wiluna in the 20's, my sister and our friends at the Capricorn Roadhouse out of Newman in the 70's, my grandfathers family - typical Australian bush family, taken after WW! when my great grandfather came home - the youngest child in the photo became a prisoner of war in WWII and Neville Shute wrote A Town Like Alice about his experience in Changi.

Originally Posted by cresta57

Your Pop was Ringer Edwards? Wow! A true Aussie hero I read A Town Like Alice in my teens & it had a profound effect upon me. I read it again after we arrived here in 2002 as mum had a copy on the boat. I remembered reading something about the novel being based on true[ish] stories about the war. The name "Ringer" stuck with me for some reason.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

There was a thread several years ago...a lady wrote extensively about her life in Australia. Does anyone remember it...so I can post a link to the thread?

Originally Posted by moneypenny20

Found it! Brilliant stories.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/austr...g-time-274661/

Originally Posted by jad n rich

We lived and still own a acerage in QLD that is definately bush. Acres of it, as untouched as it was 100 years ago, we have old pictures that confirm its exactly the same as then. Not that remote either, one hour from brisbane, minutes to major centres, beach and mountains.

My kids had the experience of a lifetime and they know it. Totally private, you can hear sometimes, but never see any other neighbors. We had pythons in the roof, one son would say he kept hearing thumping in the roof at night, though he was just scared then found a huge python happily up there, skins were shed over 6 years, still no idea how he got in but placid snake.

Several types of possums, annoying at times, one had white markings, quite odd looking, never seen that type elsewhere. Would often spot owls at night, one terrified as thought someone was watching us over the fence. Hundreds of bird types from tiny 5 cm red and yellow birds, to giant rare red and black cockatoos and wild woodland birds, and bushturkeys building giant nests, they are like a giant compost heap.

Had turtles, large metre+ long goannas, the claws on those things! echidnas, like a hedghog, hilarious walk on them they wobble only saw babies once, so tiny. So many wallabies, each summer a couple would get the increasingly huge pouch, then pink legs and would poke out and about a month later, mini wallaby would be with mum.

Black and brown snakes were kept down by the resident python, we knew of 2, one on the roof and one with a territory down the back. In the mad summer storms 30 m trees would occasionally come down, waking everyone, luckly none near the house. The fallen trees would be chopped and burnt in winter. Huge log burner. We used to have kids parties every year, camping out in the forest, and of course kids from the big new estates would end up terrified and end up back in the house

At night you could lie in bed and see endless sky and stars, sky as clear as the desert in winter, yet hear the beach if it the surf was rough. If there was an eclipse or something perfect view from the bed. One night a giant light ball flashed across the sky, no idea what it was, like a giant ball with light coming off it. Greenish, fast but big. Every night you really felt like you were in the middle of nowhere. Still amazes me every time I go back.

I think we were so lucky, got to experience something so uniquely australian, if there was a dream place to live in aus that would be it.

Originally Posted by Amazulu

So not so bad after all then

Wonder what all the fuss was about over the years

Originally Posted by jad n rich

We lived and still own a acerage in QLD that is definately bush. Acres of it, as untouched as it was 100 years ago, we have old pictures that confirm its exactly the same as then. Not that remote either, one hour from brisbane, minutes to major centres, beach and mountains.

Originally Posted by jothefw

Great post with many interesting stories. We had our time in the bush and loved every minute of it. It's a wonder we're here to tell the tales sometimes.

Originally Posted by Gordon Barlow

As you may have read, Jo, my home was at Hannaford, which is just west of Tara. So you're pretty close to where we used to live. I've never been to Chinchilla. We once took my brother to Miles for hospital treatment (this would have been in the early '50s), but whenever we came into Toowoomba on holidays we used to drive from Tara to Kogan and pick up the main road there. I wonder if you've ever been down Tara way. An old boarding-school chum of mine still lives at The Gums.