Publisher's Synopsis
This is a collection of linked short stories about Australian country life - or the 'bush' as Australians call it. The stories revolve around the experiences of a seven-year-old city boy who is taken to the home of his widowed mother's beloved Aunt Hannah who lives with her invalid husband, Stan in a small cottage just outside of the small country town of Yass on the Southern Tablelands of new South Wales. Here he experiences the simple but happy life of a bygone era: in the house called Auchenblae which had been built by Stan and his friends at the end of the nineteenth century. The young boy must adapt his city lifestyle to a gentler time when there was neither electricity, running water nor plumbed sewerage. Moreover, he meets his mother's extended family, uncles, aunts and cousins from the town and the wider district. Being country children, his cousins are a source of great adventure and friendship. His uncles and aunts also are characters in their own right and soon the young boy is accepted into the local bush culture. He meets people like Cousin Clarence, Boof to everyone, who likes telling tales, especially scary ones about child-eating bunyips. Another cousin, Harry 'Reckless' McLaren is a daredevil older boy who has a genius for inventing, especially billy carts, although sometimes he forgets important items such as brakes. The young boy also meets his cousins from 'Blackwater Station', a large sheep property out of town and owned by his mother's cousin 'Big Bill' McLaren, a larger-than-life grazier. His children often come to town and get the young boy involved in many new aspects of the life of children in outlying stations or ranches. Cousin Gemina could ride and shoot as well as any man and wild boars are hunted on horseback with hand guns. Her brother, Bob or 'Black Bob' or simply 'Blackie' to his friends is a pessimist's pessimist who often has grounds for being so, especially when hunting yabbies, freshwater crayfish, with big claws. Their uncle Errol is a local identity and shady character who spends most of his time in the Commercial Hotel in town 'keeping a book' as the local 'Bookie' taking illegal bets on all of the horseraces or anything. After many adventures and meeting many interesting characters, the young boy experiences a full and loving country family Christmas at Auchenblae with all of the relatives and Christmas trimmings - a great restorative for his personal happiness.
