Thread: Australian History Books - who's read what ?

Originally Posted by abaddonxi

Watkin Tench's journals with great introduction by Tim Flannery. Tench was a First Fleet officer, and had boundless enthusiasm for just about everything. He writes like an 18th century backpacker.


[snip]
Simon

That's the first time I've heard anyone mention Tench's name since I was in third grade ! Seriously !
(and that was about 1973 )

The party he was leading came across the river near today's Penrith and Emu Plains (IIRC he named it after (Lord ?) Nepean) and he described it

"...as wide as the Thames at Putney"

Can't recall much else.

Tench Reserve at Penrith is named after him. Can't recall their actual crossing point.

"Flying Nurse" and "The Sugarbird Lady" by Robin Miller are both a good read. Besides providing an insight into the early days of th RFDS in North Western WA, Robin Miller had a very good sense of humour and most people will get a few good laughs from reading her books.

Robin was born in Subiaco in 1940 and died in South Perth of Cancer in 1975. She was the daughter of Captain Horrie Miller (of MacRobertson Miller Airways - MMA) fame, and the writer Dame Mary Durack. Robin obtained a commercial flying licence and used to fly to Northern Australia to carry out vaccination programs. She was known for treating children with the Sabin vaccine in sugar lumps, gaining the name of "The Sugarbird Lady". She later flew with the RFDS and in 1973, married Dr. Harold Dicks, the Director of the RFDS.

I read both these books years ago as a teenager, and have never forgotten them.