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Back on the Wool Track
In Back on the Wool Track, Michelle Grattan traces the footsteps of pre- eminent journalist and war historian C.E.W 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. (Continually in print until 1966.) 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, Back on the Wool Track 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'.
353 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2004
8 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Grattan
16 books1 followerMichelle Grattan AO, is an Australian journalist and was the first woman to become editor of an Australian metropolitan daily newspaper. Specialising in political journalism, Grattan has written and edited for many significant Australian newspapers.
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March 5, 2020
‘The wool track has become the tourist route.’
In this book, Michelle Grattan follows in the footsteps of C.E.W Bean’s journey through western New South Wales in the early twentieth century. In 1909, Bean was commissioned by the Sydney Morning Herald to write a series of articles on the wool industry. Those articles were complied into a book ‘On the Wool Track’ (which I’ve not read).
A friend mentioned this book to me recently, then another recommended it. I picked it up, wondering what had changed over almost a century. This is country I’ve not (yet) visited, country that has suffered severely from drought and from the drift of (younger) people away from the land.
‘Even the best providers, the most effective managers, can’t fully insulate themselves against the rainless years.’
Ms Grattan tracks down descendants of some of the people that Bean met. She writes of the challenges in these remote parts of New South Wales where distance and aridity shape life. Wool was the staple in Bean’s time, but this is marginal land and drought has had an impact. Ms Grattan visits shearing sheds (some of which are no longer used). And shearing, an old job with some changes in a more modern world.
As I read this book and learned some of the history of this vast area, I added some towns to my ‘want to visit’ list. The country itself will be foreign to me: I grew up near the lush green dairy country of northern Tasmania, and even though I’ve not lived there for over forty years, it’s the country where I feel most at home.
Ms Grattan’s book is worth reading, especially for those of us who’ve not ventured into the western part of New South Wales.
‘The people of the outback would see their lives as ordinary. To the observer from the city, or from the ‘inside country, they are remarkable.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In this book, Michelle Grattan follows in the footsteps of C.E.W Bean’s journey through western New South Wales in the early twentieth century. In 1909, Bean was commissioned by the Sydney Morning Herald to write a series of articles on the wool industry. Those articles were complied into a book ‘On the Wool Track’ (which I’ve not read).
A friend mentioned this book to me recently, then another recommended it. I picked it up, wondering what had changed over almost a century. This is country I’ve not (yet) visited, country that has suffered severely from drought and from the drift of (younger) people away from the land.
‘Even the best providers, the most effective managers, can’t fully insulate themselves against the rainless years.’
Ms Grattan tracks down descendants of some of the people that Bean met. She writes of the challenges in these remote parts of New South Wales where distance and aridity shape life. Wool was the staple in Bean’s time, but this is marginal land and drought has had an impact. Ms Grattan visits shearing sheds (some of which are no longer used). And shearing, an old job with some changes in a more modern world.
As I read this book and learned some of the history of this vast area, I added some towns to my ‘want to visit’ list. The country itself will be foreign to me: I grew up near the lush green dairy country of northern Tasmania, and even though I’ve not lived there for over forty years, it’s the country where I feel most at home.
Ms Grattan’s book is worth reading, especially for those of us who’ve not ventured into the western part of New South Wales.
‘The people of the outback would see their lives as ordinary. To the observer from the city, or from the ‘inside country, they are remarkable.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Displaying 1 of 1 review