Big Tom Kruse was a real Australian hero. He'd pile his truck high with bags of mail, and furniture, and passengers, and would drive back and forth, across the outback, come rain or shine.
The truly classic Australian story of Tom Kruse - legendary mailman of the Birdsville Track. For the people who lived in the desert between Marree and Birdsville, contact with the outside world was hard and sporadic - but one man was their lifeline: Tom Kruse. For more than twenty years he was the connection with the outside world for the families, station workers and others who lived along the Birdsville Track. Tom delivered everything from the mail and newspapers to fuel and food - whole communities waited in anticipation for him to drop off their supplies. But it was a hard life, from regularly making running repairs to his truck to unloading and reloading tons of stores so that he could ferry his cargo across flooded creeks. Come sandhills, hell or high water, Tom Kruse kept faith with the locals up and down the Track. Tom was a real Australian hero - and no matter what happened, the mail always got through. 'Told with honesty and vigour' - Sydney Morning Herald 'A tribute to a man who earned the love of a whole generation of Australians and shows us that the pioneer characteristics of guts and good-natured stoicism are still beautiful' - The Age 'Full of characters' - Daily Telegraph
The plot of the story is amusing. The dialogue is realistic. The plot is strategically peppered with explanations of the geographical, geological, socio-economic reality, ethnic composition of the population, socio-political situation of the times, the exciting sexual life of the young couples and the explanations of the technology and workings of the mine within the narrative. The author describes in minute and vivid details her encounters with the local fauna and includes descriptions of the local flora. Some photos have been included to illustrate and authenticate the autobiographical work. The authors perceptions of her relationship with the heroine of the story are a faithful description of her character and vicissitudes. Furthermore, the author has attempted to render the realities of the mining town life, ethos and features tangible to the readers mind.
Focusing on three communities in South Australia, this book looks at the institutionalisation of Aboriginal people and the consequences of this for both Aborigines and Australian society in general.
Willow und Tom waren beste Freunde – bis etwas geschah, das sie entzweite und das Willow nicht vergessen kann. Zehn Jahre sind vergangen, seit sie das letzte Mal mit Tom gesprochen hat. Als ihr Vater krank wird, kehrt Willow in ihre australische Heimat Kimberley zurück und übernimmt die Familien-Farm. Bald schon ist sie auf Toms Hilfe angewiesen. Doch ihr abwehrendes Verhalten über Jahre hinweg hat bei Tom tiefe Wunden hinterlassen. Willow muss all ihren Mut zusammennehmen, um sich endlich ihren Ängsten zu stellen und auf Tom zuzugehen ...
Die wilde Free, der künstlerisch begabte Freigeist der Paterson-Schwestern, kehrt endlich nach Hause zurück. Als Free den Cop Finn mit dem hinreißenden irischen Akzent kennenlernt, scheint ihr Glück perfekt. Dann jedoch erfährt sie von einem Bauprojekt, das ihren geliebten Herne River zerstören würde. Und ausgerechnet jetzt kann sie nicht auf Finn zählen, denn als Polizist steht er zwischen den Fronten.
After her fianc?, Tom, left her for another woman, landscape painter Natasha drowned herself in her work. And, with the help of her father’s gallery, she became known for her paintings of Ayers Rock. A year and a half later, Tom reappears, apparently a changed man, but Natasha can’t forgive Tom for what he did. As Natasha sets out on a new expedition to paint the landscape of Kakadu National Park, she is paired with Tom as her tour guide. Will Tom ever get the chance to explain what happened a year and a half ago? Or will this trip only drive them further apart?
