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Frontier #1
Cry of the Curlew
A stark and vivid novel of Australia's brutal past.
An epic tale of two families, the Macintoshes and the Duffys, who are locked in a deadly battle from the moment squatter Donald Macintosh commits an act of barbarity on his Queensland property.
Their paths cross in love, death and revenge as both families fight to tame the wild frontier of Australia's north country.
Cry of the Curlew is the first bestselling novel in the compelling Duffy and Macintosh series depicting our turbulent history as never before.
An epic tale of two families, the Macintoshes and the Duffys, who are locked in a deadly battle from the moment squatter Donald Macintosh commits an act of barbarity on his Queensland property.
Their paths cross in love, death and revenge as both families fight to tame the wild frontier of Australia's north country.
Cry of the Curlew is the first bestselling novel in the compelling Duffy and Macintosh series depicting our turbulent history as never before.
656 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2000
156 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
About the author
Peter Watt
61 books122 followersPeter Watt's life experiences have included time as a soldier, articled clerk to a solicitor, prawn trawler deckhand, builder's labourer, pipe layer, real estate salesman, private investigator, police sergeant and adviser to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary. He has lived and worked with Aborigines, Islanders, Vietnamese and Papua New Guineans.
He speaks, reads and writes Vietnamese and Pidgin - and has a reasonable grasp of the English language. He currently lives in Maclean, on the Clarence River in Northern NSW.
Good friends, fine food, fishing and the vast open spaces of outback Queensland are his main interests in life. He also enjoys SCUBA diving, military history, crosswords (but not the cryptic kind) and teaching.
He is a member of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Training and Development and the Australian Society of Authors.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (University of Tasmania), Post Graduate Diploma of Training & Development (University of New England) and an Associate Diploma of Justice Administration (Sturt University).
He speaks, reads and writes Vietnamese and Pidgin - and has a reasonable grasp of the English language. He currently lives in Maclean, on the Clarence River in Northern NSW.
Good friends, fine food, fishing and the vast open spaces of outback Queensland are his main interests in life. He also enjoys SCUBA diving, military history, crosswords (but not the cryptic kind) and teaching.
He is a member of the Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Institute of Training and Development and the Australian Society of Authors.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (University of Tasmania), Post Graduate Diploma of Training & Development (University of New England) and an Associate Diploma of Justice Administration (Sturt University).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 6, 2013
In every respect this is an excellent book. It is the first book in what is now a 7 (and continuing) book series. I looked at the initial three box series in the bookshop for some months prior to succumbing to the salespersons constant suggestions to read. I relented, and I now rate the initial 3 books in the series as the best ever Australian historical fiction published.
It is a rolling saga based in Central Qld which balances historical events and the origination of the Duffy and MacIntosh ongoing family dispute perfectly. I walked away from this book determined to read the next two (which I finished within the week) both of which were every bit as good as the first.
It is a rolling saga based in Central Qld which balances historical events and the origination of the Duffy and MacIntosh ongoing family dispute perfectly. I walked away from this book determined to read the next two (which I finished within the week) both of which were every bit as good as the first.
April 10, 2014
If you haven't read Peter Watt's Frontier series. You should!
A great read, a riveting story, and a multitude of sub plots.
Awaiting for the release of the 8th book, I've read them all.
I started reading Cry of the Curlew when I was living in London , back in 2000. And every time Peter releases a new one, I get it quick.
Cry of the Curlew gives deep in sites into a period of Australian history few have heard about. Especially the dispersals in Queensland, the Maori wars, and the social rifts between the socialites and the children of Irish and convict stock. The story of the macintoshes and the Duffy's continues throughout the series, and is a thoroughly enjoyable tale.
A great read, a riveting story, and a multitude of sub plots.
Awaiting for the release of the 8th book, I've read them all.
I started reading Cry of the Curlew when I was living in London , back in 2000. And every time Peter releases a new one, I get it quick.
Cry of the Curlew gives deep in sites into a period of Australian history few have heard about. Especially the dispersals in Queensland, the Maori wars, and the social rifts between the socialites and the children of Irish and convict stock. The story of the macintoshes and the Duffy's continues throughout the series, and is a thoroughly enjoyable tale.
September 18, 2023
Peter is a masterful writer who displays a wonderful ability to make every word count. Carefully researched this is a historical romance similar to Robyn Lee Burrow's work, however, Peter presents a broader picture on this base.
The brutal dispersal of native Australians is graphically told. The conflict between the Duffy and the McIntosh families is born in murder. The hatred and deception it breeds are bitter and tangible to the reader who eagerly devours each page. The strong affinity developed by the reader for the characters helps sow the seed of intrigue.
Enid McIntosh is like stone, or is she? Her strength as a businesswoman is one to be reckoned with. Douglas, her husband, belongs in the bush on his beloved property ‘Glen View’ and not in their grand Sydney mansion. Angus their eldest son is being toughened to the land to take over the sheep station in his father’s stead. Fiona, their daughter, is a naïve and protected young lady. Her brother David would rather be in England than be groomed to run the family business. Granville White is their nephew and Fiona’s cousin, and a ruthless businessman who wants all the power he can obtain from the McIntosh name.
Patrick Duffy, the Irish immigrant who fights against the British establishment in the Police at Eureka Stockade in the Victorian town of Ballarat on the Gold Fields. He meets an untimely end years later in Queensland at the hands of an insane Police officer. Michael, his son, is a lovable Irish rogue who is an artist and street fighter. Kate, his sister, is a young girl in trouble and yet she is also a strong-willed Duffy ready to take on the world. Tom, the young bullocky who accompanies his father and aboriginal friend Billy on long journeys delivering their bullock wagon hauls, is transformed by the tragedy of his father’s death to become a feared and murdering bushranger.
All of Peter's characters, and I’ve mentioned only some that make up the tapestry of this book, are strong and believable because of the weaknesses they each possess. The very frailty brings that element of humanity to each one that the reader can easily identify with. Greed, lust, and hunger for power, are the motivations for the continuing tale.
Although ‘Cry of the Curlew’ is a solid 704-page novel, it is temptingly incomplete. Each of the characters is presented at a stage in their lives that must go on. Peter's next work ‘Shadow of the Osprey’ will add to the gripping saga as will ‘Flight of the Eagle’ the volume to follow.
I have been fortunate enough to meet Peter on a few occasions and have been impressed by his forward planning. He takes great care over the cover design and marketing and has been rewarded with International sales for his efforts. I wonder what those overseas readers think of Australia with such a depiction of our brutal past. For that matter, what do we think when faced with the knowledge that genocide was practiced in our land?
The brutal dispersal of native Australians is graphically told. The conflict between the Duffy and the McIntosh families is born in murder. The hatred and deception it breeds are bitter and tangible to the reader who eagerly devours each page. The strong affinity developed by the reader for the characters helps sow the seed of intrigue.
Enid McIntosh is like stone, or is she? Her strength as a businesswoman is one to be reckoned with. Douglas, her husband, belongs in the bush on his beloved property ‘Glen View’ and not in their grand Sydney mansion. Angus their eldest son is being toughened to the land to take over the sheep station in his father’s stead. Fiona, their daughter, is a naïve and protected young lady. Her brother David would rather be in England than be groomed to run the family business. Granville White is their nephew and Fiona’s cousin, and a ruthless businessman who wants all the power he can obtain from the McIntosh name.
Patrick Duffy, the Irish immigrant who fights against the British establishment in the Police at Eureka Stockade in the Victorian town of Ballarat on the Gold Fields. He meets an untimely end years later in Queensland at the hands of an insane Police officer. Michael, his son, is a lovable Irish rogue who is an artist and street fighter. Kate, his sister, is a young girl in trouble and yet she is also a strong-willed Duffy ready to take on the world. Tom, the young bullocky who accompanies his father and aboriginal friend Billy on long journeys delivering their bullock wagon hauls, is transformed by the tragedy of his father’s death to become a feared and murdering bushranger.
All of Peter's characters, and I’ve mentioned only some that make up the tapestry of this book, are strong and believable because of the weaknesses they each possess. The very frailty brings that element of humanity to each one that the reader can easily identify with. Greed, lust, and hunger for power, are the motivations for the continuing tale.
Although ‘Cry of the Curlew’ is a solid 704-page novel, it is temptingly incomplete. Each of the characters is presented at a stage in their lives that must go on. Peter's next work ‘Shadow of the Osprey’ will add to the gripping saga as will ‘Flight of the Eagle’ the volume to follow.
I have been fortunate enough to meet Peter on a few occasions and have been impressed by his forward planning. He takes great care over the cover design and marketing and has been rewarded with International sales for his efforts. I wonder what those overseas readers think of Australia with such a depiction of our brutal past. For that matter, what do we think when faced with the knowledge that genocide was practiced in our land?
March 14, 2019
Loved the first book in this family saga which finally grew to twelve books and moved from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Peter highlights a lot of little-known Australian history and he's passionate about helping people discover some of the less well known aspects of The "Lucky Country's" development.
The Australian continent itself in all it's dramatic and violent beauty - the seering heat, the dust storms, the floods - is almost an extra character in the story - and the colorful and robust characters are built to be able to thrive or die in a rigorous environment. . .
It's maybe not for the faint hearted. There's quite a bit of violence, and the dreadful treatment meted out to the original people is not minimized or brushed over. In fact I gather one of the aboriginal leaders who is a hero in Book One - Wallarie - has developed a cult following of his own in Germany. Peter talks about this and lots of other fascinating stuff - including how international visitors who have fallen in love with his books decide to visit Australia as a result - in the Joys of Binge Reading podcast: https://bit.ly/2TKtvtH
The Australian continent itself in all it's dramatic and violent beauty - the seering heat, the dust storms, the floods - is almost an extra character in the story - and the colorful and robust characters are built to be able to thrive or die in a rigorous environment. . .
It's maybe not for the faint hearted. There's quite a bit of violence, and the dreadful treatment meted out to the original people is not minimized or brushed over. In fact I gather one of the aboriginal leaders who is a hero in Book One - Wallarie - has developed a cult following of his own in Germany. Peter talks about this and lots of other fascinating stuff - including how international visitors who have fallen in love with his books decide to visit Australia as a result - in the Joys of Binge Reading podcast: https://bit.ly/2TKtvtH
February 11, 2014
Cry of the Curlew by Peter Watt was a complete surprise to me. I had no idea what the story was to be about and was extremely surprised at the graphic description of violence in the first few chapters. However the tales of the Duffy and MacIntosh families had me intrigued. It is great to be able to read a real story. The violence dispersed throughout the novel is hard to believe and certainly strikes at your emotions. The treatment of aboriginals is appalling, the evil of some of the characters is distressing. The characters are drawn with interest. It is a little over the top every now and again but it makes it exciting. The animosity within families is intriguing and also the differences between the Irish and English. I want to read the next book in the series. It was a great read.
March 17, 2014
This book took about 50 pages for me to really start to like it. Can not wait to read the second and find out what happens to Luke Tracey (who is not even a leading character in this but for me is a very strong character)!!
Would just like to say I am not a fan of the MacIntosh family and I hope the Duffy family finally prevail.
Would just like to say I am not a fan of the MacIntosh family and I hope the Duffy family finally prevail.
April 1, 2019
I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish this book, due to the brutality in the story, but am so pleased I did. The brutality is so difficult to read, as it is based on some historical facts for which I feel enormous sadness. The characters are so interesting, that I felt I knew them by the end of the book, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
Read
November 8, 2012I met Peter Watt at a library author visit this week. What a personable, enthusiastic, passionate, self-effacing and knowledgable all round good bloke. Oh, and his novels aren't half bad either
September 3, 2016
Awesome!! Just frustrated that I haven't been able to get hold of the rest of the series as yet!
December 8, 2014
Lots of interesting history about Queensland. An epic tale of pioneering families which does not hide the atrocities committed on our indigenous Australians.
January 9, 2015
do not tarry
where the curlews cry
that mournful sound
is too profound
a cacophony of spirits
lost and found
all for which
the bush was witness
do not tarry there
the air carries distress
where the curlews cry
that mournful sound
is too profound
a cacophony of spirits
lost and found
all for which
the bush was witness
do not tarry there
the air carries distress
November 21, 2016
This is an historical family saga set in 1860's Australia and the beginning of a long series of books. It's the story of two families, their extended families, and those they come in contact with, in conflict with each other. It's all a bit of a stretch of the imagination though.
However, the most interesting part of this book is the setting. Colonial Queensland in the 1860's is a time of white man pushing further into the lands of Aboriginals, this in it's self causing life changing events for the families. It explores a dark and often not spoken about time in Australia's history and the cruel treatment of Aborigines.
The story jumps about a bit and at times I found that there were too many story lines. Just when one story line was getting interesting it would be dropped and off you go with another. I generally find this kind of writing frustrating.
This book though could appeal to those who want to read a story set in a time when Australia was just a collection of colonies.
However, the most interesting part of this book is the setting. Colonial Queensland in the 1860's is a time of white man pushing further into the lands of Aboriginals, this in it's self causing life changing events for the families. It explores a dark and often not spoken about time in Australia's history and the cruel treatment of Aborigines.
The story jumps about a bit and at times I found that there were too many story lines. Just when one story line was getting interesting it would be dropped and off you go with another. I generally find this kind of writing frustrating.
This book though could appeal to those who want to read a story set in a time when Australia was just a collection of colonies.
Read
June 6, 2016This ws a very emotional book to read and at times quite hard to stomach.
The first white settlers were pretty darned cruel and unpleasant to the aboriginal people and hunted them like animals. It didn't help that the aboriginal tribes were quite separate and didn't work together so the whites were able to use trackers from one tribe to help them hunt others and what they did to them was unspeakable and unforgivable.
The story is a family saga of two main families whose history comes together through many different ways. one family is an Irish immigrant family while the other are English well to do folk who think they are above others in the new colony.
Once you can get past the awful torture and murdering hunting activities the story is very much the family saga type of Wilbur Smith variety set in Australia in the mid 1800s.
The first white settlers were pretty darned cruel and unpleasant to the aboriginal people and hunted them like animals. It didn't help that the aboriginal tribes were quite separate and didn't work together so the whites were able to use trackers from one tribe to help them hunt others and what they did to them was unspeakable and unforgivable.
The story is a family saga of two main families whose history comes together through many different ways. one family is an Irish immigrant family while the other are English well to do folk who think they are above others in the new colony.
Once you can get past the awful torture and murdering hunting activities the story is very much the family saga type of Wilbur Smith variety set in Australia in the mid 1800s.
October 1, 2021
Peter Watt is a fabulous story teller.
I've been searching for a new author and hit the mother load. This story takes place in Australia during the 1800's. Two families at war. One Scottish and the other Irish. The curse and the slaughter of aboriginal tribes by the Scottish sheep rancher and the English for controlling the water is brutal. The worst protagonist is the blue eyed devil Mr Mort. A former police Captain, now a slave ship Captain makes the story complete. I believe the worst a protagonist is the better the story. This is book 1 in the Frontier series and I plan to read all 12. Hope you enjoy this writer as much as I did.
I've been searching for a new author and hit the mother load. This story takes place in Australia during the 1800's. Two families at war. One Scottish and the other Irish. The curse and the slaughter of aboriginal tribes by the Scottish sheep rancher and the English for controlling the water is brutal. The worst protagonist is the blue eyed devil Mr Mort. A former police Captain, now a slave ship Captain makes the story complete. I believe the worst a protagonist is the better the story. This is book 1 in the Frontier series and I plan to read all 12. Hope you enjoy this writer as much as I did.
July 10, 2019
Very good read. This is sort of "Romeo and Juliet" meets "Kane and Abel" in 1860s Australia. A saga in the mode of Ken Follett or Geoffrey Archer with some good guys and serious villains. Can be a little contrived at times but generally a rollicking good story. This is the first of twelve in the "Frontier" series, but the first three are apparently a stand alone trilogy. I hope the story can sustain the power of the first book.
March 15, 2019
This book has it all. Revenge, heartbreak, lust, violence, strong characters both likeable and detestable, wonderful descriptions of the untamed Australian outback. I was hooked from the beginning and now can’t wait to read further books in this family saga to find out what happens to the Duffys and the MacIntoshes. Highly recommended.
November 18, 2019
Loved the book cant wait to get another book in this series. I felt like I was part of the book and felt angry , emotionally drained and sad . How we treat other races as "nothing's " except if you walk talk and have the same colour. This is not a problem that existed in Australia only but in other countries the book definitely brings out the best and worst in people !
November 18, 2020
Während des ersten Teils war ich mir nicht so sicher, wie ich das Buch finden soll - es mutete wie ein Groschroman für Männer an: Sex, Liebe auf den ersten Blick, schöne Frauen, und viel viel Gewalt. Durchhalten hat sich aber gelohnt, die Familiengeschichten der Duffys und Macintoshs sind faszinierend, die Einbettung ins koloniale Australien spannend und mitreißend.
March 12, 2018
For anyone interested in Australian history particularly outback Queensland of the second half of the nineteenth century this is the novel for you. It reminds me of the early books of Wilbur Smith - sweeping family sagas.
October 6, 2020
Violent and sexually graphic in parts, but a sweeping saga of Australia in the late 1800s, primarily centered around the fortunes of two families, the McIntosh's and Duffy's. Now, well and truly hooked, and glad there's many books ahead in this series.
October 19, 2020
A fascinating story set in early colonial Australia's east coast and northern Queensland frontier. Unfortunately I was 3/4 of the way through before I realised it is the first book of a trilogy. So now I can't wait to get hold of no.2.
January 19, 2021
Loved this story. This book was recommended to me by a family member and I was delighted to see that this is the first in quite a large series. What a lesson in Australian history this is. I have ordered the next book in the series from the library already. A must read for all Aussies in my books
May 12, 2021
While a fictional work so much is related to the trails and savagery experienced by both early European settlers and the indigenous people of Australia.
A well written book that keeps you glued to the pages.
An excellent read
A well written book that keeps you glued to the pages.
An excellent read
June 12, 2023
Been wanting to read for ages but such a large hardcover book. Got it via audio and it was great. If you want to know about early colonial Australia and it’s first peoples you will enjoy. Looking forward to Book 2 also on Audio.
September 8, 2021
The story was fantastic. Beautifully written and I loved it.
But I couldn't give it more because of the unnecessary graphic content. It didn't add to the story and was not enjoyable.
But I couldn't give it more because of the unnecessary graphic content. It didn't add to the story and was not enjoyable.
December 16, 2008
over the top aussie adventure
but readable
instant miniseries if it had been written in the 80s
but readable
instant miniseries if it had been written in the 80s
March 13, 2019
This book is an epic saga with two warring families, a heinous villain, lots of unlikable characters and some likeable ones, a harsh environment (the Australian desert in the 1800s), arranged marriages, unrequited love and the relationships between the Irish, English, American and Aboriginal. It is an engaging tale with many twists and turns. However, the first two thirds of the book are clumsily written, and the scenes of violence and sexual exploits are quite gruesome to read. Near the end of the book the writing becomes more sophisticated and the sex scenes become less gratuitous and cliched as they play a pivotal role in creating character power plays in the story. While during the first half of the book I was indecisive about whether to continue, by the end I was looking ahead to the sequel and wanting to start that! This book is actually the first of 12 (!) about the Duffy and McIntosh families, following their lives from 1862 to the present day. For now, I will delve further into this tale, but I hope Watt’s writing style continues to improve or I may not make it very far through the series!
May 8, 2025
One of the sickest books I've read. I had to stop. I was looking forward to a high rated Aussie historical fiction and what I got was a sick account of glorified paedophilia, incest and sexual torture and child sexual murder. I don't know how anyone could enjoy this. How the auther could write this. Have any of the descriptions in this book in picture format and your in jail. But in highly descriptive print and it's tolerated, even celebrated, going by its high rating. Some atrocities don't need to be romanticised.
January 19, 2026
This book was a tough read. The times were dramatic. Genocide, whipping, jails and the endless threat of death. Peter Watt's story reflects this harshness in graphic detail.
There were three characters that I followed eagerly; Kate O'Keefe (nee Duffy), Tom Duffy and Wallerie the Nerambura Elder who survived the initial massacre of his people. The saga has many characters, some ordinary, most flawed and some deadly. Peter Watt portrays the mix of characters skillfully and delicately.
Recommended for people interested in early colonial Australian history.
There were three characters that I followed eagerly; Kate O'Keefe (nee Duffy), Tom Duffy and Wallerie the Nerambura Elder who survived the initial massacre of his people. The saga has many characters, some ordinary, most flawed and some deadly. Peter Watt portrays the mix of characters skillfully and delicately.
Recommended for people interested in early colonial Australian history.
February 1, 2026
I was given this book by a Peter Watt fan not knowing what to expect. It was not my thing. Some of the content was truly disturbing.
This story is not for the faint of heart.
There was an inordinate amount of detailed death and suffering. A family saga across two dynasties that evokes revenge at any cost.
It’s a big read that leaves the reader in suspense at the end. There are twelve books in the Frontier series.
This story is not for the faint of heart.
There was an inordinate amount of detailed death and suffering. A family saga across two dynasties that evokes revenge at any cost.
It’s a big read that leaves the reader in suspense at the end. There are twelve books in the Frontier series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews