Grief, Gaiety and Aborigines

by W. E. (Bill) Harney

Robert Hale, 1961, [First Edition], black and white photographic plates, hardcover

Very Good Condition, a little edge and shelf wear, minor rubbing and bumping to edges and corners, previous owners inscription in lead pencil erased from front endpaper, discolouration to spine (see photographs)

“It is 1930 in Australia, and when Bill Harney's wife becomes sick when pregnant with their second child she is admitted to a segregated area of the hospital put aside for people of Aboriginal heritage. After the birth, they sell their possessions, buy a truck, and set out on the search for a healthier environment.
William Harney tells of the journey his family undertook from Darwin to Katherine in the Australian Northern Territory during the Depression. The author details life in the Australia bush, and describes interactions between the Aboriginal, European and Asian populations.”