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S'pose I Die: The Story of Evelyn Maunsell
The true life story of a pioneer woman's life in the Mitchell River country and on the Atherton Tableland of Australia's Cape York Peninsula during the early 20th century.
'this English girl will never stick it out,' said one of the bridegroom's friends when Evelyn Evans arrived in Cairns in 1912 to marry Charles Maunsell. She went from a comfortable house near London to an isolated Mount Mulgrave homestead with unlined roof and ant-bed floors. For months in the wet season the station was cut off from the outside world, and more than once in the lonely weeks when the men were away mustering Evelyn Maunsell came near to death from illness or marauding Aborigines. Hector Holthouse, author of a number of books on Australian history, was born on Queensland's Darling Downs. He became a sugar chemist and spent several years in the north Queensland sugar belt, during which time he became interested in the colourful history of the north. the first of his Australian histories, River of Gold , is an account of the Palmer River Gold Rush. S'pose I Die is about the same country, after the rush was over and beef had replaced gold as its main export. It is based of Eve Maunsell's written recollections and her conversations with Hector Holthouse about her life in the Mitchell River country and on the Atherton tableland.
"an enthralling story" the telegraph
"a lively and readable account of a pioneer woman's life" the West Australian
'this English girl will never stick it out,' said one of the bridegroom's friends when Evelyn Evans arrived in Cairns in 1912 to marry Charles Maunsell. She went from a comfortable house near London to an isolated Mount Mulgrave homestead with unlined roof and ant-bed floors. For months in the wet season the station was cut off from the outside world, and more than once in the lonely weeks when the men were away mustering Evelyn Maunsell came near to death from illness or marauding Aborigines. Hector Holthouse, author of a number of books on Australian history, was born on Queensland's Darling Downs. He became a sugar chemist and spent several years in the north Queensland sugar belt, during which time he became interested in the colourful history of the north. the first of his Australian histories, River of Gold , is an account of the Palmer River Gold Rush. S'pose I Die is about the same country, after the rush was over and beef had replaced gold as its main export. It is based of Eve Maunsell's written recollections and her conversations with Hector Holthouse about her life in the Mitchell River country and on the Atherton tableland.
"an enthralling story" the telegraph
"a lively and readable account of a pioneer woman's life" the West Australian
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 1, 2020
I don't usually read biographies but made an exception since I am studying my own family's history. While my own family did not live on a cattle station, they were in Far North Queensland at this time. I knew that my family even in the town lived fairly primitively (they were not well off and the modern conveniences simply did not exist in the area), this book really brought it home how difficult that made life. Not that there was a complaining tone to this book, but just a realistic presentation of what life was like. I plan to continue gathering books by Hector Holthouse because I find that he is a good storyteller of history and he concentrated on the area where my maternal family lived in the 19th and 20th century.
December 21, 2012
This book opens with the 'Missus' fresh from England battling malaria. She's alone on a north Queensland station except for Albert, the Aboriginal house-boy. Her husband is away on an indefinite muster. The nearest white woman is 25 miles away but the boggy monsoon season makes travel impossible. 'Albert,' she says, 'maybe I die. S'pose I die, you dig a hole in it, and cover me up, and tell Boss I bin lose em piccaninny.''
'You no more die, Missus.'
Eventually after two miscarriages – dismissed in a sentence each time – a healthy son is born to Evelyn and Charlie. The death of a brother during the war warrants a paragraph. It's no-nonsense battler mentality with little time for grief. Similarly, scant romance romance impinges in the relationship between this English bride and her husband; she refers to him as 'the Boss.' When she must negotiate a two-foot wide track above a 3000 feet drop to a gorge she conquers her giddiness to take another step.' After that I was all right. I had to be. The Boss had no time for that sort of nonsense.'
I'm impressed that author Hector Holthouse has captured Evelyn Maunsell's voice and that of the indigenous people she lived with. He writes as her first-person voice, a result of extensive interviews. Occasionally it becomes confusing as it seemed every person who lived in the area must warrant a mention, so I found myself skin reading and having to re-track.
My mother raised her eight children in such outback areas; her parents were pioneers on remote stations similar to those described in 'S'Pose I die', so as she often spoke of this book I determined to read it all. It captures the indomitable spirit and initiative of people and their make-do initiative. The dramas they confronted such as 'Missy Dean, come see. Snake track under your bed. Big snake track everywhere.' The voices ring true; often authors make risible attempts to portray Aboriginals speaking but this book rings true authenticity.
I quote other examples of what might be called Pidgin English;
'You no savvy bush, you only savvy town' the Missus is told.
'See here, Missus,' the black tracker says, following cattle duffers. 'Billy Charcoal, he bin catch em horse here...He bin canter now...He bin see em big mob horses now. He bin take em yard.'
'You no more got em eye, you see nothing.'
'My word, that big feller, bigger'n you.'
After dubious indigenous cures for illness, Maggie pronounces herself cured; 'Me bin all right now. Me work all right. Him bin let em bad blood out. No more sick now.'
Of a fastidious overseer: 'Him make em wash trousers every day.'
'Them wild blackfeller, but you be all right... All right now, Missus, him gone now.' 'E longa river.'
'What name?' 'No savvy him, he gone run...Cheeky fellers.'
'My word Boss, you bin sleep long time.' (unconscious)
The book tells of other white people speared but though the Missus came close – she hid under the bed – the Maunsells forged relationships of mutual respect with indigenous people – and describes their customs. When Kitty's baby died, Aboriginal custom decreed she should carry the body around wrapped in bark for several weeks to mourn. This meant she had to take it to the races. She insisted 'me no longer finished being sorry. By an' by I finished. Then I put em longa tree.'
Such was life in the bush, an era and people that should be remembered.
'You no more die, Missus.'
Eventually after two miscarriages – dismissed in a sentence each time – a healthy son is born to Evelyn and Charlie. The death of a brother during the war warrants a paragraph. It's no-nonsense battler mentality with little time for grief. Similarly, scant romance romance impinges in the relationship between this English bride and her husband; she refers to him as 'the Boss.' When she must negotiate a two-foot wide track above a 3000 feet drop to a gorge she conquers her giddiness to take another step.' After that I was all right. I had to be. The Boss had no time for that sort of nonsense.'
I'm impressed that author Hector Holthouse has captured Evelyn Maunsell's voice and that of the indigenous people she lived with. He writes as her first-person voice, a result of extensive interviews. Occasionally it becomes confusing as it seemed every person who lived in the area must warrant a mention, so I found myself skin reading and having to re-track.
My mother raised her eight children in such outback areas; her parents were pioneers on remote stations similar to those described in 'S'Pose I die', so as she often spoke of this book I determined to read it all. It captures the indomitable spirit and initiative of people and their make-do initiative. The dramas they confronted such as 'Missy Dean, come see. Snake track under your bed. Big snake track everywhere.' The voices ring true; often authors make risible attempts to portray Aboriginals speaking but this book rings true authenticity.
I quote other examples of what might be called Pidgin English;
'You no savvy bush, you only savvy town' the Missus is told.
'See here, Missus,' the black tracker says, following cattle duffers. 'Billy Charcoal, he bin catch em horse here...He bin canter now...He bin see em big mob horses now. He bin take em yard.'
'You no more got em eye, you see nothing.'
'My word, that big feller, bigger'n you.'
After dubious indigenous cures for illness, Maggie pronounces herself cured; 'Me bin all right now. Me work all right. Him bin let em bad blood out. No more sick now.'
Of a fastidious overseer: 'Him make em wash trousers every day.'
'Them wild blackfeller, but you be all right... All right now, Missus, him gone now.' 'E longa river.'
'What name?' 'No savvy him, he gone run...Cheeky fellers.'
'My word Boss, you bin sleep long time.' (unconscious)
The book tells of other white people speared but though the Missus came close – she hid under the bed – the Maunsells forged relationships of mutual respect with indigenous people – and describes their customs. When Kitty's baby died, Aboriginal custom decreed she should carry the body around wrapped in bark for several weeks to mourn. This meant she had to take it to the races. She insisted 'me no longer finished being sorry. By an' by I finished. Then I put em longa tree.'
Such was life in the bush, an era and people that should be remembered.
January 3, 2009
A good story that I read for my mum, in many respects she did the same thing, but by the time I got for her it she couldn't read it. So this ones for you mum. XXX Another one of a dying breed well around here anyway really everyone has there own trials just these people didn't have fridges, roads, lights, take away, internet WOW how did they do it? A good read I liked it.
April 7, 2008
Based on the writings of Eve Maunsell, it a vivid story of a girl raised in London society that marries an Australian outback cattle rancher and faces the danger and loneliness of the outback.
October 20, 2014
Enjoyed this book about Australian lifestyle in the far north of Queensland.
September 2, 2019
A must book to read if you're interested in Australia
September 1, 2022
Wonderful! If you love stories of pioneers - especially pioneering women - or are interested in Australian history, you must read this. But Evelyn Maunsell is such a compelling and authentic character, you really will be enriched by getting to know her, and the amazing era she lived through.
February 27, 2017
Facinating, bit matter of fact, wondered about the personal story
March 24, 2016
Perhaps more interesting to me because I grew up in Far North Queensland, I enjoyed this otherwise average biography. To read, it feels exactly as if Evelyn Maunsell was recounting her life story to me in person, perhaps as we shared a pot of tea...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews