Dimensions
130 x 200 x 29mm
Tracing the footsteps of CEW Bean, Michelle Grattan revisits the Wool Track and paints a vivid picture of Western New South Wales today.
In this book, Michelle Grattan traces the footsteps of pre-eminent journalist and war historian CEW Bean.
In 1909, Bean was commissioned by the Sydney Morning Herald to write a series of articles on the wool industry in western New South Wales. The articles were later compiled into a book and published as 'On The Wool Track' which went on to become an Australian classic. Now, almost 100 years later, Michelle Grattan traces Bean's footsteps and paints a fascinating picture of the Far West in 21st century Australia.
Like Bean, whose descriptions brought to life the characters who inhabited this harsh, arid region, this book is about people. Grattan visits the wool country and tracks down descendants of people Bean met during his travels and she observes the modern shearers, doing an old job in a new world.
As Bean brought the outback to his city readers in 1909, Grattan interprets the Western Division for contemporary Australians. 'Back On The Wool Track' is a vivid and sensitive portrayal of "this delicate country that responds like a piano to whatever touches it".