Product Description

To Macauley the child was his 'shiralee' - a burden and a handicap, and also a constant reminder of bitterness and failure. It was in his nature to do things the hard way; the way he saw it, there was no other choice. What he hadn't taken into account was the child's overwhelming need for love. Niland's masterpiece is an outstanding evocation of the Outback and adult-child relationships. First published in 1955, few books have captured the spirit of the Australian bush and its hardy people as vividly and powerfully as this poignant novel.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #794352 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

About the Author
D'Arcy Niland (1916-1969) was born in Glen Innes, New South Wales and spent much of his boyhood travelling with his Irish father on the New South Wales shearing circuit. He worked all over Australia in a variety of jobs (opal-miner, circus hand, stevedore, woolshed roustabout) before becoming a writer. He died of a heart attack in 1967 aged only forty-seven. He was married to Ruth Park.

Customer Reviews

I discovered a treasure!
The story of a reluctant scalawag father and his four-year-old daughter (his shiralee--Australian for "burden") who walk around Australia, this moving novel was once a Masterpiece Theatre presentation many years ago. Never was there a more delightful literary child than "Buster" and never was there a more reluctant father than "Macauley." I loved it.

Glimpse of the outback
An Australian classic, set in the outback dealing with social problems and the difficulties facing a wandering sheep shearer. It gave an interesting insight into life in the outback and the drudgery of Australia at that time. The characters were wonderful and it was an insightful, enjoyable read.