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An Outback Nurse
Thea Hayes, a young city girl, trained as a nurse in Sydney in 1959. A year later she was catapulted from the safety of her city life into the unknown world of the Australian outback.
While on a holiday to the Red Centre, she impulsively accepted a nursing job on Wave Hill Station in the Northern Territory, the second largest property in the world under one management, a property that covered four million acres. Having never spent time outside the city, Thea was unprepared for the place she would soon call home. Little did she know that her life was about to change dramatically.
An Outback Nurse is a story of overcoming odds to find your place in the world. It's a story of falling in love with the land and finding love on the land. But it's also the story of growing up on one of Australia's most famous outback stations, a place where history was made.
While on a holiday to the Red Centre, she impulsively accepted a nursing job on Wave Hill Station in the Northern Territory, the second largest property in the world under one management, a property that covered four million acres. Having never spent time outside the city, Thea was unprepared for the place she would soon call home. Little did she know that her life was about to change dramatically.
An Outback Nurse is a story of overcoming odds to find your place in the world. It's a story of falling in love with the land and finding love on the land. But it's also the story of growing up on one of Australia's most famous outback stations, a place where history was made.
- GenresNonfictionHistorical
280 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2014
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175 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 17, 2018
Very nice book about a young woman who moves from a big city (Sydney, Australia) to a HUGE cattle station in the Northern Territory. Many aspects of her life are woven throughout the book, it's not just about nursing. She talks about the land, the running of the cattle station and outlying stock camps, the Aboriginals, events attended, and a lot more. If you've read much about the outback, you'll recognise some of the people, and stations, she mentions, too. I enjoyed the book.
3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
3 Stars = I liked the book. I'm glad I read it.
November 11, 2017
This is not a memoir of what it was like to be a nurse on a sheep station. When Hayes joined one of the largest cattle runs in the world, she signed on as a station nurse...and hostess. Basically because at that time she was one of two women on the station. However, there is very little mention of treating patients on a day-to-day basis, and less real description of what her "hostessing" duties entailed. It's mostly descriptions of romances, social life, parties and weddings (lots of weddings), and the all-important race meetings. On her honeymoon, the couple throw a noisy, drunken party into the small hours at a hotel, and are "very shocked" early the next morning when the management asks them to leave ASAP, and yet she can be very superior and nasty about anyone else's drinking habits, particularly her boss, "who was like a child in the way he wanted me and Ralph (...) to come to his quarters and listen to him babble on about nothing." Nice.
The authoress seems set on the reader's awareness of how she rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, even before she gets back to Australia--she drops 3 famous names and as many more connexions in the first 25 pages, and thereafter continually "drops" the titles of other books on the Outback put out by her publisher, though I suppose they could have been planted by her editor. Though she also "drops" the fact that one of her great-aunts married the founder of the publishing house, so... Oh, and can we talk about the editing, or lack thereof? Obviously Hayes is no writer, but the text is scrappily told; it's a chain of supershort, often incomplete anecdotes. She sets up some big event (a bush fire, a dangerous strike, etc) and in three sentences, she's off to something else at some other point in time. Not to mention the lack of proofreading: at one point she mentions Negri races, "of which I was to learn more about." ???
Her blindess about the government resettlement of Aborigine groups fits in with her "everything was lovely between the races on the station" agenda. I was reminded of the older US Southerners' reactions to the abolition/civil rights struggles. Her husband Ralph was "raised" by an Aborigine woman, and she consistently describes the people as childlike, etc. If everything was always so lovely and respectful on both sides, why did she feel the need to keep bringing it up? She is also very nasty about "the settlement folk" and at one point is immensely relieved that she won't have to live too near them. She discusses how low Aborigine pay was in the sixties and seventies, but says they "didn't want more"--according to her, they weren't the ones agitating! We are told all the Aborigine employees simply walked off the station one day, but she implies it's because she and her husband were managing another property by then; if they'd been there everything would have continued to be lovely and fine. Uh-huh.
Whenever someone different to herself and those she likes turns up there is this strange disconnect of sensibilities and she can be very harsh. Not a nice person. Short and scrappy as this book is, I found myself skimming. It would have benefited from a ghost writer, or a decent editor.
The authoress seems set on the reader's awareness of how she rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, even before she gets back to Australia--she drops 3 famous names and as many more connexions in the first 25 pages, and thereafter continually "drops" the titles of other books on the Outback put out by her publisher, though I suppose they could have been planted by her editor. Though she also "drops" the fact that one of her great-aunts married the founder of the publishing house, so... Oh, and can we talk about the editing, or lack thereof? Obviously Hayes is no writer, but the text is scrappily told; it's a chain of supershort, often incomplete anecdotes. She sets up some big event (a bush fire, a dangerous strike, etc) and in three sentences, she's off to something else at some other point in time. Not to mention the lack of proofreading: at one point she mentions Negri races, "of which I was to learn more about." ???
Her blindess about the government resettlement of Aborigine groups fits in with her "everything was lovely between the races on the station" agenda. I was reminded of the older US Southerners' reactions to the abolition/civil rights struggles. Her husband Ralph was "raised" by an Aborigine woman, and she consistently describes the people as childlike, etc. If everything was always so lovely and respectful on both sides, why did she feel the need to keep bringing it up? She is also very nasty about "the settlement folk" and at one point is immensely relieved that she won't have to live too near them. She discusses how low Aborigine pay was in the sixties and seventies, but says they "didn't want more"--according to her, they weren't the ones agitating! We are told all the Aborigine employees simply walked off the station one day, but she implies it's because she and her husband were managing another property by then; if they'd been there everything would have continued to be lovely and fine. Uh-huh.
Whenever someone different to herself and those she likes turns up there is this strange disconnect of sensibilities and she can be very harsh. Not a nice person. Short and scrappy as this book is, I found myself skimming. It would have benefited from a ghost writer, or a decent editor.
December 8, 2014
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not alter or influence my review in any way.
Thea Hayes’ An Outback Nurse is a fascinating account of her life as nurse on a cattle station in the Australian outback (title is a little explanatory, I suppose). Thea was a city girl, just home from travels in Europe and the U.S. when she applies for a job in the Northern Territory on a whim. When she accepts the position she couldn’t have known then what her life would have in store for her and she didn’t know a thing about the four million cattle station she would soon be calling home. She found love, life and a home in the middle of nowhere.
I really enjoyed this. It is a fascinating slice of history of life out on the land. Farmers are the backbone of our country and Hayes gives us a personal view of what it is like for a woman working as a nurse. It’s not perfect and it’s not always easy. It is a fantastic insight into life on the land and the history of the Australian outback stations and also of the Indigenous people living and working alongside the white man. It is full of interesting anecdotes and stories, some humorous but others a bit more tragic, however all are written in the same light tone which does do a bit of a disservice to the tales she is telling. The writing is not perfect
What this book lacks in writing finesse, though, it makes up with its pure charm of the storytelling and the fascinating tales she was relaying. From the responsibilities of being a nurse to both the white staff and the local Aboriginal population to falling in love with a station hand and raising a family on the land, we are regaled with stories of the Negri races, Aboriginal customs and various celebrations, as well as the history of the Wave Hill Walk Off and other events. It’s funny how, at the time, no one would have realised how they were a part of history or how important it would be that stories like theirs, like Thea’s, are told and passed on through the following generations. An Outback Nurse is a fantastic and interesting account of the Australian spirit, of hard work and fun, of the men and women who helped to build, and continue to build, our country. A wonderful historic read that I highly recommend to people wanting to learn more about life on the land in northern Australia.
Thea Hayes’ An Outback Nurse is a fascinating account of her life as nurse on a cattle station in the Australian outback (title is a little explanatory, I suppose). Thea was a city girl, just home from travels in Europe and the U.S. when she applies for a job in the Northern Territory on a whim. When she accepts the position she couldn’t have known then what her life would have in store for her and she didn’t know a thing about the four million cattle station she would soon be calling home. She found love, life and a home in the middle of nowhere.
I really enjoyed this. It is a fascinating slice of history of life out on the land. Farmers are the backbone of our country and Hayes gives us a personal view of what it is like for a woman working as a nurse. It’s not perfect and it’s not always easy. It is a fantastic insight into life on the land and the history of the Australian outback stations and also of the Indigenous people living and working alongside the white man. It is full of interesting anecdotes and stories, some humorous but others a bit more tragic, however all are written in the same light tone which does do a bit of a disservice to the tales she is telling. The writing is not perfect
What this book lacks in writing finesse, though, it makes up with its pure charm of the storytelling and the fascinating tales she was relaying. From the responsibilities of being a nurse to both the white staff and the local Aboriginal population to falling in love with a station hand and raising a family on the land, we are regaled with stories of the Negri races, Aboriginal customs and various celebrations, as well as the history of the Wave Hill Walk Off and other events. It’s funny how, at the time, no one would have realised how they were a part of history or how important it would be that stories like theirs, like Thea’s, are told and passed on through the following generations. An Outback Nurse is a fantastic and interesting account of the Australian spirit, of hard work and fun, of the men and women who helped to build, and continue to build, our country. A wonderful historic read that I highly recommend to people wanting to learn more about life on the land in northern Australia.
January 14, 2015
My mom, or perhaps I should spell it mum as I'm reviewing an Australian book, passed this book along to me. She is originally from England, and worked for several years as a nurse in the Australian outback before moving to Canada and meeting my dad. She received this book as a gift from her sister, and quite enjoyed it as she could remember many of the places and people that the author spoke of. I knew I wouldn't likely get as much out of it as she did, but I did enjoy it. The author tells of her spur of the moment decision to accept a job as a nurse at a cattle station, and the change it brought to her life as she married one of the employees and raised her family there. She tells of the fascinating people she met, day to day life on a cattle station, the social life, and isolation that went along with the choice to live in such a remote place. Surprisingly, she doesn't include much about the nursing, which was a bit of a disappointment. The writing is somewhat amateurish, which I expected as the author is not really a writer, but her life story is interesting enough that the quality of writing did not really bother me. I would have liked to see more detail. I feel that she likely still has a lot of good stories to tell.
April 30, 2015
Thea Hayes tells the story of her transformation over twenty years from a well-travelled city girl to a bushie. It is a great read about everyday life on outback cattle stations, and also gives accounts of events which have entered the realms of history, such as Cyclone Tracy and the Wave Hill Walk-Off. If you enjoyed Sara Henderson's and Kerry McGinnis' books, you will like this one too. Although Hayes' consistent misspelling of Ayers Rock annoyed me, and towards the end her narrative degenerated into a series of loosely connected stories, I enjoyed reading her story.
April 19, 2015
Enjoyed it, though a little pedestrian in parts.
January 13, 2025
Interesting memoir with stories portraying life in the outback, most of what I knew nothing about since I’m on the opposite side of the world. I would have liked more detail and cases about actual nursing experiences but a lot of this story was how these outback stations were run in the old days and life in the wilds. I received this book as a gift from an Australian penpal and it was appreciated. I am not a memoir reader usually.
December 20, 2021
Superficial account of some mildly amusing stories of her time on a cattle station. Mostly boring, blind to injustices towards First Nations people and quaint. Very, very little about nursing in the outback which is why I wanted to read it. Disappointing book; lots of missed opportunities for a good story.
June 30, 2025
Having heard so much about Wave Hill Station it was wonderful to read a first-hand account of what it was really like to live there! A book of wonderful adventures and of the love of family and friends, the short tales threaded throughout give a picture of both the joy and challenges of living remotely. You just had to do with what you had and appreciate the luxuries of holidays when they came!
January 24, 2019
Thea had an amazing life and is obviously a strong woman but lucky too. An easy and enjoyable read.
Goodreads star ratings from 23/9/17
My Goodreads star rating... ***
My Goodreads scale:
* waste of time
**filled in time
***good
****excellent
*****absolutely amazing
Goodreads star ratings from 23/9/17
My Goodreads star rating... ***
My Goodreads scale:
* waste of time
**filled in time
***good
****excellent
*****absolutely amazing
August 10, 2020
It was pretty good. I liked learning about my country. It even mentions my home town. It was interesting to learn what a part of my country was like back in the day and I enjoyed reading about Thea's story.
December 29, 2018
I enjoyed this easy to read book although it was not a great literary piece.
March 3, 2022
Enjoyable, informative, lovely easy read.
March 18, 2016
Thea Hayes, tells a tale of old Wave Hill Station that resembles a fairy tale not the truth.
If you want to know what life is like living in isolation in the NT then read "Middle of Nowhere" by Terri Underwood 5/5 this is factual and very readable biography about a young nurse who fell in love with a Terroritian. Facts are on record of her life not some flight of delusional fantasy. She also became Territory woman of the year for all the work she did living in one of the most isolated regions.
If you want to know what life is like living in isolation in the NT then read "Middle of Nowhere" by Terri Underwood 5/5 this is factual and very readable biography about a young nurse who fell in love with a Terroritian. Facts are on record of her life not some flight of delusional fantasy. She also became Territory woman of the year for all the work she did living in one of the most isolated regions.
February 6, 2016
This was a informative read which gave me a understanding of a lifestyle of outback Australia, I really enjoyed following your family Theo and your exciting and at times hard life. I can see the differences between New Zealand and Australia in terms of the land and whether conditions that affect farming.
September 17, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was good to have a little insight to ways back then well before I was born. It was also interesting to learn a little about the aboriginal culture. I now want to find out more about their traditions.
September 9, 2015
Brilliant description of an adventurous life, from a young Nurse to Station Owner. Highly recommend this book.
November 5, 2016
Really enjoyed Thea's story. I didn't want to put this book down. The outback is certainly a very interesting place and life is very different than in the city.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews