Books in the Great Australian Stories series

When you're a kid, adults often say to you 'your school days are the best of your life'--and you think they must be barking mad! But when you look back, you can see what they meant, because when you are at school you were free of responsibilities--you had adventures, got up to mi...schief, hung out with your mates, made mistakes and, above all, had fun. This collection of more than sixty stories, gathered by Bill 'Swampy' Marsh in his travels across Australia, harks back to a simpler time and perfectly captures the experience of life growing up in the outback, when the days were long and hot, the kids were cheeky but innocent, and adulthood seemed a long way away. Whether you loved school or not, these stories will bring a smile to your face and maybe even a tear to your eye, as students and teachers share their yarns and memories of a time gone by...this little kid, he spun around at me and he snapped, 'Piss off, Miss.' Of course, I immediately replied with, 'Excuse me. In this school we always use our best manners when we talk to teachers and adults. So what should we say, then?' And this little kid, well, he looked up at me all sheepish and he said, 'Well then, Miss, piss off, PLEASE.'
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ABC Books series 'Great Australian' stories captures the experiences of being an Australian in the outback, from times gone by to the present day. We've all got memories - good and bad - of our days at school, but going to school (or teaching) in outback Australia is a completely... different experience from attending school in the city! Bill 'Swampy' Marsh has travelled Australia gathering first-hand these wonderful memories and yarns to bring together this collection of sixty stories that so perfectly capture school days in the bush.
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Yarns and memories that capture the experience of policing in the bush, gathered by the inimitable Bill 'Swampy' Marsh, bestselling author of GREAT AUSTRALIAN FLYING DOCTOR STORIES and GREAT AUSTRALIAN CWA STORIES. 'I tell you, you meet some strange characters in this game ...' B...oasting the biggest beats in the world - some as large as France - Australia's outback police have seen it all: natural disasters, incredible acts of selflessness, unspeakable crimes and daring rescues, just to name a few. And they've met some unforgettable characters along the way: from the murderer who stuffed his victims' bodies down wombat holes; to the policeman who arrested his own wife; to the prisoner who risked his life to rescue his own captor from certain death. Master storyteller Bill 'Swampy' Marsh has travelled the length and breadth of the country to gather their tales of adventure and misadventure, drama and mayhem, and larrikinism and laughter, to create this memorable collection of real-life stories about those on the front-line in the heart of Australia.
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Come aboard for the ride with Swampy and his larrikin-spirited railroad pioneers as you travel into Australia's wonderful and extraordinary railroading past.