Great Australian Stories

Us firefighters do more than fight fires. We also assist those who have just gone through what's probably the worst experience of their lives.' The devastating 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires threw the importance of our volunteer firefighters into sharp focus. But these brave men and women don't just step up to protect life and property in fires, they are also there to help in road accidents, plane crashes, natural disasters like cyclones and floods, and, yes, they even rescue pets that have got themselves into strife. In this collection of first-hand stories, ranging from the 1880s to 2020, our courageous volunteer firies take us right up to the frontlines and reveal the stark realities of the dangers they face to keep our communities safe. This book serves as a tribute to the thousands of volunteer firies across Australia who roll up their sleeves and selflessly put their lives on the line to assist their fellow human beings.

We're nearing the end of the service and so I step closer in to do the last 'ashes to ashes and dust to dust' bit. Just as I get to the edge of the grave, the soil gives away and in I go. Well, they reckon I was like a kangaroo. I hardly missed a beat. I went down into the grave like that, hit the coffin and I bounded back out in one big leap. And, I'm now standing back up beside the grave, trying not to shake, while I continue with the service: 'Ashes to ashes, dust to dust'. Death doesn't mean the end of memorable stories from the bush. In fact, often it's just the beginning.

Fabulous yarns and memories of going to school and teaching in the Outback. If your teacher commuted to school in a plane; if you had to watch out for rogue bulls rather than traffic; if your daily pick-up was done by a horse, you probably went to an outback school. This collection of more than sixty stories, gathered by Bill 'Swampy' Marsh in his travels across Australia, perfectly captures the experience of life growing up in the outback. Whether you loved school or not, these stories will bring a smile to your face and maybe even a tear to your eye, as students and teachers alike share their yarns and memories of a time gone by...this little kid, he spun around at me and he snapped, 'Piss off, Miss.' Of course, I immediately replied with, 'Excuse me. In this school, we always use our best manners when we talk to teachers and adults. So what should we say, then?' And, this little kid, well, he looked up at me all sheepish and he said, 'Well then, Miss, piss off, PLEASE.'

Whether they're carting produce, stock, fuel, or even (unbeknown to them) dead bodies, there's one thing that can be said about outback truckies, they're a colorful bunch. Meet the outback truckies who brave interminable distances, searing heat, raging floodwaters and foot-deep bulldust to transport goods all across this vast land, serving as lifelines not just to those in the bush but those in cities as well. From the truckie who found a creative means of transporting penguins, to the one who refused to 'abandon ship' as his truck sank into a river, these real-life accounts show the lengths to which these enterprising and resourceful men and women will go to ensure their load arrives safely at their destination.

GREAT AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRE STORIES is a collection of remarkable tales from all around Australia that tell of our country's fiercest natural phenomenon: the bushfire. Farmers, landowners, firefighters and city dwellers share with ABC journalist Ian Mannix their experiences of fires: preparing for them, fighting them, and the heartbreak task of mopping up when even their best efforts failed. Some stories are funny, some tragic, many courageous, but all are a testimony to the ingenuity and grit of human beings as they fight to save their homes, their towns and, in some cases, their lives.

Stories from outback towns and pubs across this wide brown land gathered by Bill 'Swampy' Marsh -- now available in an all-new format. the people you'll meet will touch your heart as Swampy brings to life all the drama and delight of life in outback Australia. there's the story of Frederick Aloysius Millard, the only dog ever to become a member of a Citizens Club in Australia, thanks to the vote of a woman who was sure she'd been introduced to this 'eccentric' man twenty years back; the man who refused to go to the doctor after being shot, because he'd been hit in a very unfortunate spot ... which made it obvious he'd been shot while running away; the unfortunate bloke who tried to blow a snake out of the dunny but ended up nearly taking himself out of existence ... if there's a good story out there, Swampy's captured it for this book. Long after the last tale has been told, you'll still hear laughter from the pub, the crash of a drunken donkey falling in a trench and recall the time ... they found this bloke, sitting in the main street at 3 o'clock in the morning, hammering one of those survey pegs in the ground. So they said, 'What the hell are you doing?' And this drunk feller replies, 'I'm driving a peg inta the arsehole of the world. 'Award-winning writer Bill 'Swampy' Marsh collects yarns that get us in, hook, line and sinker. He gives us back our childhood and shares those precious memories of an Australia that's passing into legend.

A selection of stories from shearers in South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. In late 1999, Bill 'Swampy' Marsh began to collect shearing stories. When he was interviewed by ABC Radio broadcaster Colin Munro on SUMMER ALL OVER, dozens of people phoned in with their own tales. This book is a collection of those yarns. The world of shearing is filled with outback stations, larrikins, roustabouts, sagacious dogs and babbling brooks whose blood is worth bottling.

From Clydesdales and police horses, from trick riders to outback stockman, an authentic, funny, deeply moving collection of stories about horses and the amazing people who work with them. Funny, familiar and deeply moving, these true stories of Australian working horses stretch over three generations and every part of our continent. Teams of powerful, labouring Clydesdales, patient and spirited saddle horses, brave police mounts and talented Olympic competitors canter through its pages, their stories told first-hand by the owners who cared for and worked alongside them. Follow country tracks in a hawker's wagon, visit floodlit arenas with thumping music where horses perform with quiet trust, and trudge mountains where brumbies run. Trick riders, talented trainers and outback stockmen share their secrets. Updated with many contemporary tales, this new edition is an unmissable treat for horse-lovers.

From beyond the black stump to the Australian Alps; in schools on stations, missions, mines and over the air, it takes a special kind of person to be an outback teacher. Back then, not only did we have to teach the three Rs but also sewing, arts and craft, music, physical education, you name it. Plus, there were the duties of gardener, cleaner, nurse, registrar, office administrator, free milk dispenser, librarian and, on occasions, school bus driver. Oh, and in one school I was even responsible for 'mother craft'. And, being male and just nineteen, as I was at the time, you might imagine my surprise when a young girl asked me, 'Sir, what's the best milk for babies?' Master storyteller Bill 'Swampy' Marsh has traveled the width and breadth of Australia to bring together yet another memorable collection of stories. This time he has met with many of our extraordinary outback teachers and their students whose recollections so perfectly capture those special days of growing up in the bush.

In these frustrating days of semi-automated electric trains, it is hard to remember the smell of coal smoke, the hiss of steam, and sting of cinders flying into your eyes as you hung out a window. there was romance then, in working and travelling on the Australian railways, and hardship. With his passion for the olden days worn on his sleeve and his famous ear for a good yarn well pricked, Bill 'Swampy' Marsh has found stories from drivers and gangers, stokers and crossing guards, their families and everyone in between, to create a collection of adventures that tell in their authentic voices of the funny, dramatic and hilarious times of a world long past.

Australia has a rich history of ghost sightings and spooky tales, from the time of European settlement until today - and they are all here in GREAT AUSTRALIAN GHOST STORIES. From gore-spattered convicts and elegant women out of our colonial past to the mysterious ghost lights of the outback and angry poltergeists that wreak havoc on modern homes, Australia seems to be teeming with the restless spirits of our ancestors. You'll meet a wide cross section of them in this far-reaching collection of stories drawn from all the Australian states and covering two centuries of our nation's history. Some ghosts are vengeful, some aloof, others mysterious, sad, kind, wistful or amusing, but all share one quality - they're scary - and their stories are hair-raising. You'll join a terrified young couple on a Ferris wheel when a spectre appears inside their cage, you'll learn about Australia's most famous ghost and visit Australia's most notorious haunted house where icy hands gripped the throats of unsuspecting visitors. You'll meet a ghost made famous by Henry Lawson, discover what 'the haunted dunny' means to the people of a village in the Barossa Valley and share in the terror of a medical student when a cadaver comes back from the dead and takes up residence in the student's laptop. So, dear reader, if you have the courage, make sure the doors and windows are locked, settle in your favourite chair, keep a blanket handy (for when your blood runs cold) and join Richard Davis on this remarkable journey behind the veil that separates the mortal from the eternal - right here in our own back yard.

Dr. Flynn and his nurses could never have imagined when they founded the Royal Flying Doctor Service that it would become such an enduring symbol of Australian life. Author Bill 'Swampy' Marsh brings us the voices of Australians from all walks life and their stories of the saviors of the air. These tales are by turn frightening, hilarious, wonderful, tragic and poignant and through them, we come to understand why the Royal Flying Doctor Service stands as a unique Australian cultural icon.

The world of the Australian drover is almost forgotten. In this book we hear of the men (and women) who travelled vast distances along Australia's stock routes. Bill 'Swampy' Marsh travelled around Australia gathering their stories. Before utes, planes and helicopters, mustering and droving were done by a group of men who, on horseback, would move thousands of head of cattle and sheep vast distances in the search for better grazing. It was an isolated and often difficult life, but one frequently filled with adventure and great humour. Bill 'Swampy' Marsh has travelled throughout Australia to make sure the voices and stories of these wry, tough men are not lost forever. In this collection of 60 adventures you will find out about the extraordinary lives on the road of the great Australian drover.

Truth is stranger than fiction in this fabulous new collection of flying doctor stories from bestselling author Bill 'Swampy' Marsh. 'Where's your thumb?' the doctor asked the injured ringer. ‘Oh, we stuck it over there on the gatepost, fer safe keepin'.'And, just as the doctor turned around to the gatepost, he saw a crow heading skyward, thumb and all. So, I don't know how the ringer actually lost his thumb in the first place, but it had certainly gone missing after the crow had flown off with it. From the pilots, doctors and nurses who spread their 'mantle of safety' throughout the remote inland of Australia, as well as the men and women they treat on the ground, comes a brand-new collection of Flying Doctor yarns as told to master storyteller Bill 'Swampy' Marsh. Hear of those whose very lives depend on the Royal Flying Doctor Service, like the man suffering from extreme burns who rode his motorbike eighteen kilometers back across his property to get help while opening and closing every gate along the way because you 'always leave gates as you find them'. Out here, stoicism and a sense of humor go hand in hand, as in the case of the stockman with a compound leg fracture who, when asked by the Flying Doctor if it hurt, replied, 'Oh, it itches a bit.’ through fog, lightning, thunder, flooding rains and dust storms, the Flying Doctor braves the elements to get to the remote outback landing strips where they're needed and the tales they live to tell will have you shaking your head in amazement. Featuring the colorful and funny work of legendary Broken Hill artist Howard William Steer, master storyteller Bill 'Swampy' Marsh once again reaches into the heart and soul of outback Australia with stories of heroism and heartbreak and everything else it takes to live and work in this vast land of ours.

Master storyteller Bill 'Swampy' Marsh travels our wide brown land collecting yarns and memories from the authentic voices of rural Australia. the people you will meet in these stories will touch your heart as Swampy brings to life all the drama and delight of life in the outback. By turns frightening, hilarious, wonderful, tragic and poignant, these tales are sure to get you in, hook, line and sinker.

Master storyteller Bill 'Swampy' Marsh travels our wide brown land collecting yarns and memories from the authentic voices of rural Australia. the people you will meet in these stories will touch your heart as Swampy brings to life all the drama and delight of life in the outback. By turns frightening, hilarious, wonderful, tragic and poignant, these tales are sure to get you in, hook, line and sinker.

Yeah, while some of my stories are quite gory, others can be very enlightening. Though, in hindsight, the best outcomes are when the patient pulls through. It's then that you know you've done your job, and you get a bit of a buzz out of that. Put the sirens on and get ready to hit the road, because fact is stranger than fiction in this fabulous Australia-wide collection of ambos stories from bestselling author Bill 'Swampy' Marsh. Rural and remote ambulance drivers and paramedics are a dedicated and gutsy bunch who work tirelessly to care for their communities, often in isolated and inhospitable conditions, with few resources but plenty of experience, courage and care. Ambos deal with it all: car crashes, delivering babies, snake bites, heart attacks, lost bushwalkers, drug overdoses - even the occasional crook camel. One thing they are never short of is a story or two to tell. This memorable and eye-opening collection of real-life accounts of professionals and volunteers alike racing by road, air and water to save people in strife is by turns, poignant, bizarre, heartbreaking and hilarious. Bill 'Swampy' Marsh is an award-winning writer and performer of stories, songs and plays. He spent most of his youth in rural south-western NSW and now lives in Adelaide. Swampy is one of ABC books' bestselling authors of Australian stories; this is his twenty-second book.

Bill 'Swampy' Marsh has been on yet another adventure, this time gathering more stories from outback towns and pubs; from the green fields of Tasmania to the vast red sands of Simpson Desert. The unique characters of the outback will touch your heart as Swampy presents all the drama and delight of life in remote Australia. There are tales of all-night revelry, the pub that became a refuge during a bushfire, the thirteen-year-old sent from the city to work on a remote sheep station, the priest with a sideline in illegal poker games, a sighting of the elusive yowie, a murder or two and a few ghosts thrown in for good measure. And, yes, the saddest story of all - the pub with no beer. If there's a good story out there, Swampy has captured it in this book. Bill 'Swampy' Marsh is an award-winning writer and performer of stories, songs and plays. He spent most of his youth in rural south-western NSW and now lives on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula. Swampy is one of ABC Books' bestselling authors of Australian stories; this is his twenty-third book.