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Billabong #8
Billabong's Daughter
There's no knowing the treachery of a yalla horse.
Mrs Reilly warns her daughter, Mary-Kate, about the dangers of horses after a terrifying ride. But if it hadn't been for that yellow horse, the Reillys would not have met the Lintons of Billabong and received much needed help in a time of crisis.
Another crisis and more serious treachery lies in store for Wally Meadows, who is summoned urgently to Queensland when his brother dies. Are Wally's suspicions of skulduggery around his family properties justified? In his attempts to discover the truth, Wally is saved from certain death by the miraculous intervention of his friend, Freddy Paxton. And when Norah rushes to Wally's bedside in a Brisbane nursing home, they both realise that their long-standing mateship has deepened into love.
The fifteen enormously popular Billabong books have become Australian classics. Three generations of young readers have enjoyed these stories, originally published between 1910 and 1942. While some things then were very different from today, others - such as families, friendships and feelings, haven't changed at all, and the Billabong books are as enjoyable as ever.
Mrs Reilly warns her daughter, Mary-Kate, about the dangers of horses after a terrifying ride. But if it hadn't been for that yellow horse, the Reillys would not have met the Lintons of Billabong and received much needed help in a time of crisis.
Another crisis and more serious treachery lies in store for Wally Meadows, who is summoned urgently to Queensland when his brother dies. Are Wally's suspicions of skulduggery around his family properties justified? In his attempts to discover the truth, Wally is saved from certain death by the miraculous intervention of his friend, Freddy Paxton. And when Norah rushes to Wally's bedside in a Brisbane nursing home, they both realise that their long-standing mateship has deepened into love.
The fifteen enormously popular Billabong books have become Australian classics. Three generations of young readers have enjoyed these stories, originally published between 1910 and 1942. While some things then were very different from today, others - such as families, friendships and feelings, haven't changed at all, and the Billabong books are as enjoyable as ever.
317 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1924
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 31, 2024
As well as being a successful children’s author with the Billabong series, Mary Grant Bruce was a journalist of some repute, an editor and later, a wartime broadcaster for the ABC. She had married a soldier and found herself in England and Ireland for extended periods, prior to and during World War One, and again in England and the continent prior to World War Two, returning to Australia in the early days of that conflict. After her husband died in 1949 she made her way back to the old country and lived out her days in the English countryside.
This eventful background surfaces significantly in this story set on the other side of the world, principally at Billabong a large station in Victoria, run by straight-backed patriot David Linton with his large son Jim, extremely tall daughter Norah and their large friend Wally (Walter) Meadows who has grown up with them.
The following contains spoilers.
The first half of the book is completely episodic, featuring a rescue involving a runaway cart with Irishwoman Mrs Reilly on board with her daughter; said Mrs Reilly almost succumbs to a mysterious (never identified, but potentially fatal) illness, and we meet a neighbouring English woman and her brother. There’s a truculent bull, whose belligerence precipitates more rescuing, and a menacing interloper to deal with. And there are early hints that the children, Norah and Wally, having grown up, might have gone beyond friendship.
The real story begins when Wally is called to Queensland to sort out the family holdings following the death of his much older brother. There are of course, nefarious dealings going on. A brave rescue is required, this time by a pilot, who happens to fly by at the right time to spot the severely injured Wally in remote bush country. This is when World War One truly reverberates. Tall Jim and tall Wally served in the conflict as did Freddy the pilot. This gives the characters worldliness beyond their years and a serious set of competencies, and mercifully, no lasting injuries or psychological damage. Billabong’s Daughter was published in 1924: at that time, by far the largest group in the Australian parliament was ex-servicemen, many of them on the land as soldier settlers. The next biggest group was pastoralists and graziers.
It’s a rollicking story, holding up well, although there is a great deal of smoking, boxing, women being rescued in the nick of time, and in fairness a man being rescued just in time, a lovable family cook and some quaint (to us) notions of social behaviour. The values are traditional Australian mythological: great mateship, giving people a fair go, being hospitable, helping each other and stealing cattle. The bush is superior to the city: when Wally travels to Queensland, Sydney (my own home city) comes out poorly, and Melbourne (where I was born and brought up), little better, only because Wally runs into old mates.
One episode struck me particularly. When Wally, severely injured and unconscious, is rescued by Freddy in his World War One bi-plane, the brave pilot lands in a field, somehow gets Wally into the navigator’s seat, then takes off with his heavy load, narrowly missing scalping some tall trees. The whole episode is strikingly similar to rescues in the first Biggles’ books of Captain W E Johns, published in the early thirties, well after Billabong’s Daughter, which came out in 1924. Now certainly Johns had stories published in magazines well before his books. On reading the passage in Billabong’s Daughter I wondered whether Mary Grant Bruce was inspired by Johns’ work. Then I thought, perhaps it was the other way round, with Johns drawing upon Bruce’s description. Bruce wrote many of her Billabong books in England and they were popular there. Either way, or not at all, I was struck by her aviation action sequence. A good read.
This eventful background surfaces significantly in this story set on the other side of the world, principally at Billabong a large station in Victoria, run by straight-backed patriot David Linton with his large son Jim, extremely tall daughter Norah and their large friend Wally (Walter) Meadows who has grown up with them.
The following contains spoilers.
The first half of the book is completely episodic, featuring a rescue involving a runaway cart with Irishwoman Mrs Reilly on board with her daughter; said Mrs Reilly almost succumbs to a mysterious (never identified, but potentially fatal) illness, and we meet a neighbouring English woman and her brother. There’s a truculent bull, whose belligerence precipitates more rescuing, and a menacing interloper to deal with. And there are early hints that the children, Norah and Wally, having grown up, might have gone beyond friendship.
The real story begins when Wally is called to Queensland to sort out the family holdings following the death of his much older brother. There are of course, nefarious dealings going on. A brave rescue is required, this time by a pilot, who happens to fly by at the right time to spot the severely injured Wally in remote bush country. This is when World War One truly reverberates. Tall Jim and tall Wally served in the conflict as did Freddy the pilot. This gives the characters worldliness beyond their years and a serious set of competencies, and mercifully, no lasting injuries or psychological damage. Billabong’s Daughter was published in 1924: at that time, by far the largest group in the Australian parliament was ex-servicemen, many of them on the land as soldier settlers. The next biggest group was pastoralists and graziers.
It’s a rollicking story, holding up well, although there is a great deal of smoking, boxing, women being rescued in the nick of time, and in fairness a man being rescued just in time, a lovable family cook and some quaint (to us) notions of social behaviour. The values are traditional Australian mythological: great mateship, giving people a fair go, being hospitable, helping each other and stealing cattle. The bush is superior to the city: when Wally travels to Queensland, Sydney (my own home city) comes out poorly, and Melbourne (where I was born and brought up), little better, only because Wally runs into old mates.
One episode struck me particularly. When Wally, severely injured and unconscious, is rescued by Freddy in his World War One bi-plane, the brave pilot lands in a field, somehow gets Wally into the navigator’s seat, then takes off with his heavy load, narrowly missing scalping some tall trees. The whole episode is strikingly similar to rescues in the first Biggles’ books of Captain W E Johns, published in the early thirties, well after Billabong’s Daughter, which came out in 1924. Now certainly Johns had stories published in magazines well before his books. On reading the passage in Billabong’s Daughter I wondered whether Mary Grant Bruce was inspired by Johns’ work. Then I thought, perhaps it was the other way round, with Johns drawing upon Bruce’s description. Bruce wrote many of her Billabong books in England and they were popular there. Either way, or not at all, I was struck by her aviation action sequence. A good read.
April 15, 2013
One of the best books in the Billabong series, Billabong's Daughter delves a lot more into the emotions of Jim, Norah and Wally than previous books, using Wally's experience in Queensland and his bonding with Norah as examples.
I rate this 5 stars.
I rate this 5 stars.
December 5, 2012
This is one of my favourites of the Billabong series, probably because I like Wally and this is a book where we get to see Wally as more than Jim's chum.
February 20, 2013
Very much of its time in its attitude to issues of gender, race, and WW1, but a fabulous Australian book for all that.
March 11, 2025
Disappointed by this entry in the series. First half meandered and I'd have rated it one star. Second half had more plot, but melodramatic. Whole book had issues with stereotyped characters, racism, violence - all of which are true of other books in the series to some degree, but this one seemed worse than some of the others I've read.
I did hope Freddy Paxton does end up establishing an Air Police service, though - that could have been an excellent spin-off.
I did hope Freddy Paxton does end up establishing an Air Police service, though - that could have been an excellent spin-off.
September 21, 2019
I reckon this one would be my favourite so far, I haven't actually finished the series yet though.
March 15, 2024
Brilliant as usual.
July 12, 2025
Another enjoyable Billabong book. As usual, lots going on out in the bush community, & more time with our lovely characters, as well as some new introductions.
January 4, 2026
I suppose, on retrospect, it was pretty obvious that Norah and Wally would end up together. There are foreshadowings in earlier books.
This book feels like it could be a bit of a stretch to anyone's imagination, but I suppose something like this could have happened at some point.
The ending is one of the most poignant moments of the entire 15 Billabong books. I challenge you to read it and not feel moved.
This book feels like it could be a bit of a stretch to anyone's imagination, but I suppose something like this could have happened at some point.
The ending is one of the most poignant moments of the entire 15 Billabong books. I challenge you to read it and not feel moved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2025
A simple and poignant story of classic Australian attitude and adventure.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews