Great Bush Stories

Tales from life on the land and outback adventures continue to intrigue, puzzle and entertain us. This collection is Graham Seal at his best.

The tradition of yarns from the bush goes back to the earliest days in Australia. Colourful rural characters and dramatic incidents parade through our history and folklore, entertaining and appalling us in equal measure.

Graham Seal has gathered classic and little-known stories from when most Australians lived outside the cities, and communication was by dirt track or boat. There's the time when farmers used their Ferguson tractors to save a town from floodwaters; when soldiers took on mobs of emus devastating the wheat crop; the Lady Bushranger who lived rough in a cave; Bob the railway dog who hitched rides on trains for years; and the many dubious strategies devised against the pesky bush fly over the years.

True or more than a little exaggerated, these stories reflect the distinctive way of life of rural and outback folk which continues to this day.