Great Australian Outback Police Stories

by Bill "Swampy" Marsh

About the Book

Yarns and memories that capture the experience of policing in the bush, gathered by the inimitable Bill 'Swampy' Marsh, bestselling author of GREAT AUSTRALIAN FLYING DOCTOR STORIES and GREAT AUSTRALIAN CWA STORIES.
'I tell you, you meet some strange characters in this game ...'
Boasting the biggest beats in the world - some as large as France - Australia's outback police have seen it all: natural disasters, incredible acts of selflessness, unspeakable crimes and daring rescues, just to name a few.
And they've met some unforgettable characters along the way: from the murderer who stuffed his victims' bodies down wombat holes; to the policeman who arrested his own wife; to the prisoner who risked his life to rescue his own captor from certain death.
Master storyteller Bill 'Swampy' Marsh has travelled the length and breadth of the country to gather their tales of adventure and misadventure, drama and mayhem, and larrikinism and laughter, to create this memorable collection of real-life stories about those on the front-line in the heart of Australia.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook

304 pages, ebook

Published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️s



Audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by: ABC Audio
Read by Bill ‘Swampy’ Marsh, Kate Hood
Duration: 9 hrs, 40 min. 1.25x Speed

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting and quite shocking in parts. But also quite funny too. I kept getting disoriented because some of the stories are recent and some quite old. The readers were alright. Good for a change of scenery.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. I found it hard to get into the book as it has heaps of different tails of the Australian police in the outback.

[Tony · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was only just OK - only. Some parts were mildly amusing but too many sounded like urban myths and too many were cringe worthy. The interesting part was the policing of Aboriginal people back in the day. Don't expect too much and you might enjoy it a bit more then I did.

[Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you enjoy sitting around a campfire with a bunch of caravanners listening to aggrandised stories from their youth, then you may get something out of this book. Otherwise, you’ll cringe at the tales that are casually racist and sexist, but also quite boring.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boasting the biggest beats in the world -- Australia's outback police have seen it all: natural disasters, incredible acts of selflessness, unspeakable crimes and daring rescues, just to name a few.And they've met some unforgettable characters along the way: from the murderer who stuffed his victims' bodies down wombat holes; to the policeman who arrested his own wife; to the prisoner who risked his life to rescue his own captor from certain death.Tales of adventure and misadventure, drama and mayhem, and larrikinism and laughter, to create this memorable collection of real-life stories about those on the front-line in the heart of Australia.Rural police everywhere in Australia deal with the same types of crimes experienced in urban centres,but also deal with specific rural crimes such as livestock theft and other thefts from farms,cannabis production,illegal fishing or hunting,and other environmental crimes.In addition to enforcing laws, officers are often called upon to assist in medical emergencies,conduct community education,crime prevention and youth programs,and manage special events.There are also a number of policing issues that are idiosyncratic to rural and remote areas.The physical isolation,substance abuse,violence,issues pertaining to Aboriginal people and the difficulties in attracting and retaining staff are the major challenges for policing in remote regions.Rural police also need to be able to enlist the support of local residents to access information for crime solving and determine enforcement priorities.Officers also rely on support in emergencies from the local community,whether it is a pub brawl or a search of remote areas and consequently,rural officers must use discretion and keep the community on their side.Australian native police units,consisting of Aboriginal troopers under the command usually of a single white officer,existed in various forms in all Australian mainland colonies during the 19th-20th centuries.The Native Police were utilised as a cost effective and paramilitary instrument in the expansion and protection of the Australian frontier.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of Australian 'yarns' - stories told by those of first hand experience; or by those people who 'know a guy, who knows a guy'; stories handed down generations or stitched together from older records. It is light hearted and at times humorous. Approach this book as you would 'a mate in the pub' who is spinning a yarn about his granddad.

I feel that this book is best consumed in parts. A books that is read one story at a time, put down and then returned to later to read another. (Some folks might keep it in the 'one man library' of the house ;) ). I would suggest that the audiobook version is a book to take on long driving trips. Although I would caution, those who listen to audiobooks, to take coffee as the author's monotone voice could put you to sleep. (Sorry Swampy).

There is a bit of 'stuffing' to consume in this read. Stories you will wonder why or how they got into the book - but - there are a few gold nuggets; and I noted a couple to research later.
I would describe it as 'non-fiction fiction' and almost autobiographical - factual events told with fictional embellishments. (Some, perhaps not all). Basically, each story reflects the story tellers own feelings, bias, experience & understanding.

But if you can get past the monotone voice, or instead are reading the book itself 'the stuffing', there are snippets of gold to be found. Being Australian and raised in the Outback, I could easily relate as a lot of the stories are similar to my own past experiences (Especially, obtaining a driving licence) or to stories shared by my parents & grandparents.
I also believe that those who enjoy Australia history, would also find amusement or interests in some of these stories.

There is really no better way to describe this read than the title of the book itself.

[Alayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy-to-read set of stories written in the vernacular from interviews by Bill Marsh. This book was great to pick up and put down when I was too tired to concentrate on much else. Concentrating on WA, NT, and SA with a bit of Victoria thrown in, it was very interesting reading, with some stories amusing and some sad.

[Emerson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is the definition of quantity - not quality. Difficult to get into, this compilation has no rhythm to it. The stories are not organised chronologically or geographically. Out of the entire collection, three or four stories have stuck with me. Don’t lose sleep over not having read this book - your life will remain unchanged with or without it.

[Goldenwattle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read, about parts of Australia, where many Australians don't get to. Only negative I have for the book, is that many of the 'voices' sound the same, although they are different people's stories. Only the last story 'Wild West' had a different 'voice'.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book from the "Great Australian Outback Stories" series. With a combination of both historical and current policing, and criminal stories this book is a really engaging read.

[Mark Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yarns more than truths i suggest in some cases!
Mate of a mate told me....

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories about, mostly, outback police life.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. Very interesting reading. Would like to read more by this author.

[Jessica George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic, I listened to the audiobook over a few days. These are all important stories that need to be kept alive for future generations.