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Barra Creek
An outback family saga that will knock your hat off. It's funny, poignant and completely unexpected. You won't be able to stop thinking about it.
Di's twelfth novel opens in New Zealand in the 1960s. The Mitchell family has run a prosperous sheep farm for generations and the youngest daughter, Sally, has just turned 20. She rides to the hounds and leads an indulged life.
That is, until she shocks her parents by becoming involved with an older man. Scandalised, they try to pack her off to England, but Sally doesn't make it. After a wild spree in Sydney she's cashed in her ticket and, hell bent on adventure, takes a job as a governess on a remote cattle station - Barra Creek - in the Gulf country of Cape York. Untamed and crocodile infested, it's a land of deserts, jungles and wide rivers. Then the great stations were run by men who were loners and women who had to cope or leave.
Decades later, in 2003, Sally learns a secret that will change many lives - including her own - and leave readers horrified on one hand, and smiling and crying on the other.
Di's twelfth novel opens in New Zealand in the 1960s. The Mitchell family has run a prosperous sheep farm for generations and the youngest daughter, Sally, has just turned 20. She rides to the hounds and leads an indulged life.
That is, until she shocks her parents by becoming involved with an older man. Scandalised, they try to pack her off to England, but Sally doesn't make it. After a wild spree in Sydney she's cashed in her ticket and, hell bent on adventure, takes a job as a governess on a remote cattle station - Barra Creek - in the Gulf country of Cape York. Untamed and crocodile infested, it's a land of deserts, jungles and wide rivers. Then the great stations were run by men who were loners and women who had to cope or leave.
Decades later, in 2003, Sally learns a secret that will change many lives - including her own - and leave readers horrified on one hand, and smiling and crying on the other.
516 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
83 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Di Morrissey
77 books396 followersDi Morrissey (born 18 March 1943 in Wingham, New South Wales) is one of Australia's most popular female novelists. She grew up in the remote surrounds of Pittwater, north of Sydney, Australia.
Growing up she counted famous Australian actor Chips Rafferty as a close mentor and friend who helped provide for her and her mother after the death of her father as a child, sending them overseas to California to live with family.
In her later years, Di went on to become a journalist on London's Fleet Street, and worked for CBS in Honolulu, where she lived with her husband who was in the foreign service, and even had a small role in the series Hawaii Five-0, a guest role in season three, episode seven, 1970 starring as 'Alicia Anderson'.
After moving back to Australia, Di published her first book 'Heart of the Dreaming' which instantly became a bestseller. Since then Di has published another 17 bestsellers, her latest being 'The Silent Country'.
Growing up she counted famous Australian actor Chips Rafferty as a close mentor and friend who helped provide for her and her mother after the death of her father as a child, sending them overseas to California to live with family.
In her later years, Di went on to become a journalist on London's Fleet Street, and worked for CBS in Honolulu, where she lived with her husband who was in the foreign service, and even had a small role in the series Hawaii Five-0, a guest role in season three, episode seven, 1970 starring as 'Alicia Anderson'.
After moving back to Australia, Di published her first book 'Heart of the Dreaming' which instantly became a bestseller. Since then Di has published another 17 bestsellers, her latest being 'The Silent Country'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
July 14, 2022
Our protagonist is Sally Mitchell, a New Zealander who grew up indulged, privileged and rebellious on her family's prosperous sheep- and horse estate on Southern Island. She lands up as a governess for the three Munroe boys, on a remote, untamed, wild cattle station in north western Queensland, Australia. Barra Creek - in the Gulf country of Cape York.
Sally's arrival on the cattle station would push a family situation into an orbit of no return. Years later in 2003, Lorna Munroe had to find Sally before Lorna's memories would finally fade into dementia. It was unfinished business that could not wait any longer.
Back in 1963, the strange pipe-shaped clouds began to roll over the horizon as the beginning of the rainy season. It was the time for the river to be upended, John Munroe said, and all entry roads, and even the airways, into the region would become impossible to navigate. It was the metaphor for the events, like the storm clouds, that would suck the air out of the family's existence. Forever. In some circumstances justice did not wear a uniform or a tie. Sometimes human nature made the final call. Sometimes nature took the last stand.
In retrospect Sally would remember the station in the middle of nowhere as a country of its own. Sprawling, brawling, fighting, singing, big spaces, strong men and women tackling great odds. There was laughter, adventure, sadness, betrayal, deceit, with bitterness and broken dreams slowly enfolding a community who depended on each other for survival.
This is one of those thoroughly enjoyable family sagas playing out in the Australian outback. It was an emotional punch in the stomach for the reader. Barra Creek was a main character in this drama. Everything about it was in-your-face-relevant: the animals, people, cultures, and believes.
The reason for the five star rating is the definitive excellent ending. Overall a truly wholesome and entertaining read, although by no means a wine-and-roses affair at all. The experience was unforgettable. And oh, sooooo immensely beautiful.
RECOMMENDED
Sally's arrival on the cattle station would push a family situation into an orbit of no return. Years later in 2003, Lorna Munroe had to find Sally before Lorna's memories would finally fade into dementia. It was unfinished business that could not wait any longer.
Back in 1963, the strange pipe-shaped clouds began to roll over the horizon as the beginning of the rainy season. It was the time for the river to be upended, John Munroe said, and all entry roads, and even the airways, into the region would become impossible to navigate. It was the metaphor for the events, like the storm clouds, that would suck the air out of the family's existence. Forever. In some circumstances justice did not wear a uniform or a tie. Sometimes human nature made the final call. Sometimes nature took the last stand.
In retrospect Sally would remember the station in the middle of nowhere as a country of its own. Sprawling, brawling, fighting, singing, big spaces, strong men and women tackling great odds. There was laughter, adventure, sadness, betrayal, deceit, with bitterness and broken dreams slowly enfolding a community who depended on each other for survival.
This is one of those thoroughly enjoyable family sagas playing out in the Australian outback. It was an emotional punch in the stomach for the reader. Barra Creek was a main character in this drama. Everything about it was in-your-face-relevant: the animals, people, cultures, and believes.
The reason for the five star rating is the definitive excellent ending. Overall a truly wholesome and entertaining read, although by no means a wine-and-roses affair at all. The experience was unforgettable. And oh, sooooo immensely beautiful.
RECOMMENDED
July 6, 2019
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Barra Creek, published in 2003, is the twelfth book written by ‘Australia’s grand dame of popular fiction’ Di Morrissey, as labelled by The Age. As I am long standing fan of Di Morrissey’s work and I have been slowly making my way through her extensive backlist, with only a small handful of titles left to discover. Barra Creek was one of these titles. I am using Barra Creek to cover the Book Bingo 2019 category, ‘a book written by an Australian woman over ten years ago’.
Barra Creek takes the reader from a sheep farming station in New Zealand, to a sprawling cattle station located in the gulf country of North West Queensland. Situated in the early 1960s, Barra Creek introduces an unforgettable heroine, named Sally. Sally is the offspring of a prosperous New Zealand family that deals in sheep farming. Sally has to flee New Zealand when she becomes caught up in an ill fated affair. Sally plans takes a trip to England with a friend, but she is sidetracked in Sydney by an opportunity to work as a governess in outback. Sally is one for adventure and she takes up the position with little forethought. Sally quickly learns that her sheltered life in New Zealand is completely removed from her new role as a governess in the Australian bush. Not only must Sally contend with the education of three highly strung boys, she must deal with the different staff on the property, the vast extremes in temperature, the domineering nature of the musters and much more. It is a full and colourful life for Sally, as she must reconcile her heart with her mind.
Barra Creek is a solid rural fiction title, which was published at a time before the real onset of Australian rural romance. Di Morrissey is definitely a true pioneer when it comes to Australian rural and popular fiction. She is a regular fixture on bookshelves, producing a novel on an annual basis, which is very often an Australiana themed title. Barra Creek is a novel that can very easily be labelled as a quintessential Australian fiction novel, as it bases itself in the north west region of Queensland. Barra Creek’s strength lies in its ability to open our eyes to the big business of cattle farming.
At all axis points of the novel, I have to say the land takes over. It is the most evident character, dictating the events that unfold within Barra Creek. Thanks to the vivid and often lush descriptions provided by Di Morrissey of this particular locale, the reader feels completely immersed in this way of life. I enjoyed the glimpse intothe world of cattle farming in the 1960s, it was a little different to more recent books I have read about this form of farming in more recent times. Morrissey also highlights the simple way of life in decades past and the impact this had on managing a rural property.
This particular Di Morrissey title is a full family saga. It is an all encompassing tale of life, love, death and new beginnings. It also covers the sense of regret over difficult decisions that are made, especially in matters of the heart. Barra Creek provides the audience a solid picture of the cultural attitudes, moral codes and societal perceptions, with a particular emphasis on the extent of prejudice that was evident at this point in time. I was a little taken aback at times by these issues. I had to remind myself more than once that Morrissey is depicting a time when this was an typical expression of community attitudes to our indigenous population.
Morrissey dabbles in a good spot of romance in Barra Creek. Through the heroine, Morrissey shows us a love defined by passionate intent, but it is later torn apart by circumstances, false impressions and expectations. It was a welcome experience to be carried away by a love story of this nature, it was undemanding, but also engaging. The setting also enhances the whole love affair experience, with the pressure and isolation of outback life. With the presence of the extremes of mother nature, crocodiles, snakes and the like, this is no ordinary romance – by any means!
In true Di Morrissey style, there is plenty of high drama, shattering life developments, difficult decisions and tests to the human spirit. Barra Creek is an easy and absorbing tale, touched with a good dose of outback realism that I am sure will appeal to a wide variety of readers.
*** 3.5 stars
Barra Creek is book #96 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
Barra Creek, published in 2003, is the twelfth book written by ‘Australia’s grand dame of popular fiction’ Di Morrissey, as labelled by The Age. As I am long standing fan of Di Morrissey’s work and I have been slowly making my way through her extensive backlist, with only a small handful of titles left to discover. Barra Creek was one of these titles. I am using Barra Creek to cover the Book Bingo 2019 category, ‘a book written by an Australian woman over ten years ago’.
Barra Creek takes the reader from a sheep farming station in New Zealand, to a sprawling cattle station located in the gulf country of North West Queensland. Situated in the early 1960s, Barra Creek introduces an unforgettable heroine, named Sally. Sally is the offspring of a prosperous New Zealand family that deals in sheep farming. Sally has to flee New Zealand when she becomes caught up in an ill fated affair. Sally plans takes a trip to England with a friend, but she is sidetracked in Sydney by an opportunity to work as a governess in outback. Sally is one for adventure and she takes up the position with little forethought. Sally quickly learns that her sheltered life in New Zealand is completely removed from her new role as a governess in the Australian bush. Not only must Sally contend with the education of three highly strung boys, she must deal with the different staff on the property, the vast extremes in temperature, the domineering nature of the musters and much more. It is a full and colourful life for Sally, as she must reconcile her heart with her mind.
Barra Creek is a solid rural fiction title, which was published at a time before the real onset of Australian rural romance. Di Morrissey is definitely a true pioneer when it comes to Australian rural and popular fiction. She is a regular fixture on bookshelves, producing a novel on an annual basis, which is very often an Australiana themed title. Barra Creek is a novel that can very easily be labelled as a quintessential Australian fiction novel, as it bases itself in the north west region of Queensland. Barra Creek’s strength lies in its ability to open our eyes to the big business of cattle farming.
At all axis points of the novel, I have to say the land takes over. It is the most evident character, dictating the events that unfold within Barra Creek. Thanks to the vivid and often lush descriptions provided by Di Morrissey of this particular locale, the reader feels completely immersed in this way of life. I enjoyed the glimpse intothe world of cattle farming in the 1960s, it was a little different to more recent books I have read about this form of farming in more recent times. Morrissey also highlights the simple way of life in decades past and the impact this had on managing a rural property.
This particular Di Morrissey title is a full family saga. It is an all encompassing tale of life, love, death and new beginnings. It also covers the sense of regret over difficult decisions that are made, especially in matters of the heart. Barra Creek provides the audience a solid picture of the cultural attitudes, moral codes and societal perceptions, with a particular emphasis on the extent of prejudice that was evident at this point in time. I was a little taken aback at times by these issues. I had to remind myself more than once that Morrissey is depicting a time when this was an typical expression of community attitudes to our indigenous population.
Morrissey dabbles in a good spot of romance in Barra Creek. Through the heroine, Morrissey shows us a love defined by passionate intent, but it is later torn apart by circumstances, false impressions and expectations. It was a welcome experience to be carried away by a love story of this nature, it was undemanding, but also engaging. The setting also enhances the whole love affair experience, with the pressure and isolation of outback life. With the presence of the extremes of mother nature, crocodiles, snakes and the like, this is no ordinary romance – by any means!
In true Di Morrissey style, there is plenty of high drama, shattering life developments, difficult decisions and tests to the human spirit. Barra Creek is an easy and absorbing tale, touched with a good dose of outback realism that I am sure will appeal to a wide variety of readers.
*** 3.5 stars
Barra Creek is book #96 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
December 22, 2022
13 hours 10 minutes
I enjoyed listening to Kate Hood read the complete and unabridged audio of Barra Creek written by the talented Australian author Di Morrissey.
Sally Mitchell and her friend Pru stopover in Sydney while waiting to sail to England. Sally's father is a wealthy New Zealand sheep farmer, and she is used to luxury and being pampered.
When circumstances curtails the voyage to England, Sally impulsively takes a job as a governess at Barra Creek, a cattle station on a tributary of the crocodile-infested Norman River in the wild Gulf country of northwestern Queensland, Australia.
This novel of love, treachery and family secrets in Australia's far north in 1963 kept my interest from start to ending.
4.3 stars
I enjoyed listening to Kate Hood read the complete and unabridged audio of Barra Creek written by the talented Australian author Di Morrissey.
Sally Mitchell and her friend Pru stopover in Sydney while waiting to sail to England. Sally's father is a wealthy New Zealand sheep farmer, and she is used to luxury and being pampered.
When circumstances curtails the voyage to England, Sally impulsively takes a job as a governess at Barra Creek, a cattle station on a tributary of the crocodile-infested Norman River in the wild Gulf country of northwestern Queensland, Australia.
This novel of love, treachery and family secrets in Australia's far north in 1963 kept my interest from start to ending.
4.3 stars
August 29, 2008
I picked this out on Audible strictly because it was set in Australia. I honestly thought it would be a trashy romance, or at least a romance. How wrong I was! I found this to be a really nicely-paced simple but interesting story where the setting certainly becomes a character - I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the descriptions of life in the outback on a cattle station, but it feels so real because of the writer's patient crafting of each scene and detail.
You might find that you think the heroine is a bit of a Pollyanna, but that was exactly what made this book such a relief for me. It's not that she isn't complicated, or doesn't have substance, it's that she has the kind of substance I perhaps wish I had. And, well, yes a relentlessly positive attitude. I just loved her.
I should mention that the version on Audible has an amazing reader, who switches clearly from a New Zealand accent to Australian and doesn't muddle anything, as far as I can tell.
You might find that you think the heroine is a bit of a Pollyanna, but that was exactly what made this book such a relief for me. It's not that she isn't complicated, or doesn't have substance, it's that she has the kind of substance I perhaps wish I had. And, well, yes a relentlessly positive attitude. I just loved her.
I should mention that the version on Audible has an amazing reader, who switches clearly from a New Zealand accent to Australian and doesn't muddle anything, as far as I can tell.
April 27, 2016
Once I moved past the distraction of 'head-hopping' viewpoints in the early pages - something I did not expect to find from an author described as 'Australia's leading lady of fiction' - I enjoyed 'Barra Creek', my first foray into Morrissey's story-telling style. I found her characters believable and enjoyed the way the plot meandered through an interesting and, at times, compelling vista of relationships, experiences and drama. I particularly enjoyed the iconic isolated Australian setting of Barra Creek cattle station; the 'setting' drove an emotional saga worth the effort and distance it took to get there.
February 26, 2019
Another solid offering from Morrissey of a family saga from the outback. Not sure I liked Sally that much - but that aside, I enjoyed the journey even though it was a little predictable in the end.
January 14, 2025
A very entertaining read - always love an outback Queensland setting although it kicks off in New Zealand.
Not sure which version I read - it was a paperback similar to the book shown, however, the writing was set out different.
Not sure which version I read - it was a paperback similar to the book shown, however, the writing was set out different.
March 16, 2019
I enjoyed this book especially details about the location it was set in. Due to my dislike of hot, humid weather I can only read about these places and wish I could go there. I found the storyline and characters enjoyable and I think that there must have been many people similar to these people of the outback as so many books about that era of Australian history describe them in much the same way. I suppose the harsh conditions that were endured attracted a certain type of person which is why they have similar characteristics. Will read more of her books.
November 2, 2011
Miss Morrissey writes cleanly, but I don't find myself becoming emeshed into her stories. I prefer the 'hold onto your seat' and 'oh no' and the 'you're kidding' and of course, the tears, type of reactions to what I read. This was a gentle meander along a still creek.
June 8, 2024
Like many of the books by this author it is told in the past and the present (the year the book was released)
This time out the story begins in the early 1960’s and Sally and her best friend Pru who are 18 Live in New Zealand and both come from wealthy families are set to sail to England, but first they are spending time in Australia. Things don’t go as planned and Pru winds up going back to New Zealand.
Sally decides to ditch going to England alone and on a whim takes a job as a teacher/ nanny on a cattle station in northern Australia, where one would think she will be completely out of her element. Sally shines in her new job and the reader gets a glimpse into what it was like back then being in the middle of nowhere.
I really enjoy the books by this author many of them are like big sweeping sagas, and she is a major best seller in Australia. Sadly she hasn’t gained much traction here in the United States but if you get a chance try one of here books.
This time out the story begins in the early 1960’s and Sally and her best friend Pru who are 18 Live in New Zealand and both come from wealthy families are set to sail to England, but first they are spending time in Australia. Things don’t go as planned and Pru winds up going back to New Zealand.
Sally decides to ditch going to England alone and on a whim takes a job as a teacher/ nanny on a cattle station in northern Australia, where one would think she will be completely out of her element. Sally shines in her new job and the reader gets a glimpse into what it was like back then being in the middle of nowhere.
I really enjoy the books by this author many of them are like big sweeping sagas, and she is a major best seller in Australia. Sadly she hasn’t gained much traction here in the United States but if you get a chance try one of here books.
May 20, 2018
I have just finished a Di Morrissey marathon completing 8 of her novels, but I won't be writing 8 different reviews, I can assure you. I have never read any of her books before and was pleasantly surprised, on the whole. Morrissey strings a good story together, some a tad cliched or corny in parts, but an enjoyable time was had. I am acquainted with some of the settings she writes about so there is a familiarity to the books and it was engaging to read a place becoming a character, to create not just the backdrop, but the mood of the story. You could tell she had spent time writing in The Kimberley's, researching the pearl industry or The Great Barrier reef exploring the coral sands. Her proliferation as an author is commendable.
October 2, 2023
Remembrances of my youth...After high school I decided that college was not for me but gaining an education through travel was more appealing. I sailed from San Francisco to Sydney Australia, stopping in many ports. That, in itself, was a marvelous education.
In Australia I found a clerical job; and travelled the continent gaining my education via wonderful experiences along the way and meeting wonderful people (my Aussie sister and I still communicate and vacation together). Sydney was my home base....I also visited the Perth, Hobart and the Northern Territory (Cooper Pedi).
This book took me back to the most wonderful part of my life.
In Australia I found a clerical job; and travelled the continent gaining my education via wonderful experiences along the way and meeting wonderful people (my Aussie sister and I still communicate and vacation together). Sydney was my home base....I also visited the Perth, Hobart and the Northern Territory (Cooper Pedi).
This book took me back to the most wonderful part of my life.
June 29, 2019
I really enjoyed this book from Di Morrissey ,this is the second book I have read. I really enjoy how she captures the feel of the place she is writing about ,and as a reader I feel as though I am there .I found some of the deaths in the book quite sad .I found the story line enjoyable and easy to follow .I can't comment how accurate life has been described on a cattle ranch ,but I liked reading about the lifestyle .I found the dynamic between Sally and the boys interesting particularly when they were testing her and playing jokes .
November 6, 2017
I really enjoy Di Morrisey's books on Australia and this is no exception. A really good read, I'd rate it a 4-4 1/2 stars. Sally Mitchell lives an easy life as the daughter of a well to do New Zealand sheep farmer. On her way to England with a friend, Sally ends up in outback Australia as a governess instead. Sally takes to the family and outback life and has a series of interesting adventures that affect her for life. A very enjoyable read.
July 25, 2021
The book had everything in you could expect from this kind of book. No more, no less. Predictable story line, formulaic characters and an ending you could see a mile off. Still, I think people often read these kinds of books for exactly that reason and so wouldn't be disappointed. The audio book reader was awful, giving Sally the tomboy central character the voice of a 3 year old child. I won't be reading any more Di Morrisey myself.
April 4, 2022
Barra Creek is set in a cattle station located in the Gulf country of North West Queensland. Sally flees New Zealand when she becomes caught up in an affair. She plans a trip to England with a friend but takes up a position as a governess in the outback with little forethought. Sally has to educate three highly strung boys as well as deal with the different staff on the property. Another well-told story by Di Morrissey.
June 25, 2024
This novel immerses the reader in the exciting adventures of living on a ranch in Australia’s outback. Sally, a young woman, accepts a position as a governess to three boys, sons of the ranch owner, and spends a year with the family. It is fun to watch the changes in a young, immature, impulsive, rebellious, entitled girl as she lives and grows in the wild with this family. The story takes her through that exciting year, and then on through her adult life. 3 ½ stars from me.
December 13, 2025
2.5 stars. The style of writing wasn't really for me and the 'big reveal' was completely predictable. I'm not a fan of opening a book with a 'mystery drama' with a clear intention to make the reader wait till the very end of the book for it to be resolved. This story had a lot of great stuff in it and would have been compelling without such a technique being employed. The main setting, a cattle station in the NT, was well constructed and I enjoyed feeling like I was there.
June 8, 2020
This is a favourite of mine and I have re-read it a number of times throughout the years. Morrissey’s haunting and unapologetically direct depiction of a variety of confronting situations is commendable; and draws the reader in, even through discomfort. Set in outback Australia, it also conjures up memories of my time spent in the outback.
July 16, 2021
Where do I begin...as stated I don't think ill ever stop thinking about this book. This story is so refreshing, adventurous and a punch in the stomach. The author never writes what's being expected. This is a book you'll be waiting to read in your life, not expecting what exactly it's holding for you.
:')))
:')))
December 23, 2021
Great holiday reading! It's easy to forget that the majority of the story is the backstory of a governess' experience working on a cattle property so when you come to the ending it's back to present day and the situation of resolving something that happened in the past; hence, the backstory. Relatable characters and the isolated setting were well constructed to make this an enjoyable read.
October 1, 2025
an insight into life in the outback, resilience in the face of hardship and the racism that occurred on working cattle stations in the 1960’s - it was an intriguing read with a dash of romance thrown in.
it was nice to feel like I was back in Australia for a brief time.
may my horse era continue 🐴
it was nice to feel like I was back in Australia for a brief time.
may my horse era continue 🐴
May 27, 2019
Follows the usual Di Morrissey formula. Di always researches the areas really well that the novels are set in. Enjoyed the descriptive writing about the outback.
Her oils always take me on a journey and helps me switch off to reality for a while.
Her oils always take me on a journey and helps me switch off to reality for a while.
January 5, 2018
Predictable ending, but not a bad read.
May 30, 2017
This one has been on the to read pile for a long time. Not sure where I got it from. Enjoyable read. likeable characters. Good amount of adventure and romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2017
Great ripping Aussie yarn. Wonderful descriptions of the Australian outback. Not my usually genre but I'll listen to more from Di Morrissey.
March 12, 2018
This book is basically well written and starts out well but bogs down in the middle and (I thought) had a too predictable ending.
September 19, 2018
Very enjoyable read!
May 8, 2019
The main character could have been more likeable. In the beginning she had bought it all on herself. I thought this was one of Morrisseys weakest books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2019
Predictable escapist holiday reading.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews