In Northern NSW, west of the Divide, it used to be brigalow scrub, growing on what turned out to be the richest soil in the country – not a coincidence as it happens – but the scrub’s almost all gone, and the job of protecting what’s left falls to environmental officers.
Late one afternoon in 2014, out near Croppa Creek, things came to a head. An 80 year old farmer, Ian Turnbull, took out a gun and shot Glen Turner, an environmental officer, in the back.
He stood over the wounded man until he was dead, despite the pleas of his companion.
This is the point at which Kate Holden starts her remarkable book. But don’t be confused.
Holden is not interested in writing a true crime story. She wants to understand the forces at play here: the way we view land, who owns it, what it’s for, what our responsibility to it entails. And to comprehend that she discovers she needs to delve into our philosophical and cultural roots, to drill down into a lot of our assumptions.
Holden says she’s not a journalist, but the book won a Walkley Award. She says she’s not a historian, but the book won the NSW Premiers non-fiction award 2022 and is short-listed for the Regional History award. This is an important book, written by one of our finest writers.
Outspoken’s introducing author will be Katie McMahon, speaking about her second novel, The Accident. This time Katie reveals the inner lives of Grace, Zoe and Imogen, whose worlds are linked through shared but not always obvious connections.
The Accident explores the ways in which our formative years shape our future, examining the influence of unrequited love and the healing power of friendship.
Thursday September 15, 6 for 6.30pm
Maleny Community Centre
Tickets, $25 and $18 for students
