Mike O’Hare of “Yirragunji” at Beckom in southern NSW has won a copy of Outback Governesses by Paula Heelan in an online competition.
This is a collection of eye-opening stories about 14 governesses who drop in, Mary Poppins-like, to educate children in Australia’s remotest rural areas and in return receive a bush education of their own.
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From the School of the Air to vast outback stations, small rural schools to remote indigenous communities around Australia – all across this wide brown land, governesses and teachers drop in to take over homestead schoolrooms and the responsibility of educating children.
The governesses are often young women from urban backgrounds, and they become part of the family they work for as well as the local community, and share the trials and tribulations of station life.
They fall in love and learn to ride horses and motorbikes, explore parts of Australia, help with station work, cook and eat with family, attend rodeos, campdrafts, country races, and local shows, and other bush events.
Rural journalist with Fairfax media based in the Riverina.
Rural journalist with Fairfax media based in the Riverina.
