Arch Grant

This is the story of one of the unsung heroes of the outback. He, ‘Skipper’, identified strongly with the people and did a tremendous amount to help reduce the distance and isolation by his care and vision. He installed many transceivers for the inland people. … He travelled long distances initially by camel and later car and truck.
It is not a book that flows with a smooth narrative, but rather a list of places visited and people living there. Although there are many diary excerpts describing amazing local characters and interesting incidents.
Charlie (mailman) did the round trip of 700 kilometres every fortnight. He was as merry as a cricket even though he only had one night home every two weeks and spent the rest camped on the road. ‘His average distance is 33 miles per day and this takes doing with a nondescript string of camels and hard going. Charlie the happiest man on the North pad—never late, always before time—a bag of gossip all the way along—he is a mulga wireless plant or in himself.’ p100.
The book is a good historical record of the remoteness of the outback and how the efforts of AIM (Australian Inland Mission) and people like ‘Skipper’ spread a ‘mantle of safety’.
… (mer)