Rural Women Celebrated
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday October 2, 2008
AFTER writing a book about the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio in the Northern Territory, author Sue Williams was relieved that her next outback assignment was on a much brighter topic.
In the words of her publisher, Women of the Outback is a "rousing celebration" of the lives of 14 true heroes of our sunburnt country. Researching the book was utterly inspiring, according to Williams."The Falconio book was so dark in lots of ways and the trial went on for such a long time," Williams told the Mercury in Wollongong yesterday. "After that dark place it was amazing to go and visit these women, who, even though some of them have had terrible times, they are all so positive and uplifting."Williams and partner-chauffeur Jimmy Thomson spent months travelling through outback Australia, from Old Andado in the Northern Territory to Oodnadatta in South Australia meeting up with inspiring women recommended by the Country Women's Association (CWA) and the Rural Women's Network.Williams said one woman she particularly admired and bonded with was Alice Greenup from Kingaroy in Queensland, who had left the city after falling in love with an outback man. "When she arrived she knew nothing about the outback and she couldn't even tell the difference between a cow and a bull," Williams said.
© 2008 Illawarra Mercury