In Bad Company, and other stories

A vivid anthology of turn‑of‑the‑century Australian tales, this collection lands listeners in the sun‑soaked outback and bustling colonial towns. Bold, straightforward storytelling brings forward the grit, humor and camaraderie of a rapidly changing land, from bushrangers and drovers to everyday folk carving out lives on the frontier. Each piece offers a snapshot of a world where hard work, weathered morality and the echo of distant waves shape community and character.

The opening story follows Bill Hardwick, a sturdy shearer and jack‑of‑all‑trades whose skill and integrity make him a cornerstone of his Tumut district. When he secures a modest selection of Crown land, he builds a modest homestead with his own hands, sharing a partnership with his capable wife, Jenny Dawson. Their practical, unpretentious life reflects the spirit of a generation that prized honest toil over idle indulgence.

Listeners will hear the clang of shears, the lowing of cattle and the quiet determination of people who live close to the land, all rendered in crisp, evocative prose that captures the rhythm of early Australian life.