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Billabong #7
Back to Billabong
Home to Billabong, home to Australia after four long years of war. The Lintons - Norah, Jim, their father, David and Wally Meadows, receive a rapturous welcome when they return home. But they have not returned alone. With them are two young English friends, Bob Rainham and his sister Cecilia, or "Tommy" as she prefers to be called. Bob and Tommy have escaped from London's smog, an uncaring father and a spiteful stepmother to make a new life in Australia. The Lintons help them settle into Creek Cottage, their new home. But it is a year of cruel droughts and bushfires. Can the Rainhams survive near catastrophe, and will their sheer determination to succeed in their new country carry them through?
200 pages, Print on Demand (Paperback)
First published January 1, 1921
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 28, 2019
Brother and sister, Bob and Cecilia Rainham had lived with their aunt in France and when she died, Cecilia (Tommy), as she was only seventeen years old, had to move to the home of her father and step mother, and their two small children in England. Bob had joined the airforce as the war was raging, only given leave occasionally to see Tommy. Two years of tedium, bullying, working from dawn to dusk and longer for no pay – Tommy hated where she was living.
The occasion arrived for Bob and Tommy to join the Nauru which was sailing for Australia with the soldiers and sailors returning home from the war. It was their good luck when they joined up with the Linton family – Norah, Jim and their father David, plus Jim’s lifelong friend, Wally Meadows. The Linton’s arrival to Billabong after four years of absence was everything they could have wished for. And Bob and Tommy soon settled in to their lives as immigrants in a new country.
But misfortune was headed their way. Australia was a country of drought and bushfires; of extreme temperatures. Would the Rainham siblings survive their first year in their new country?
Back to Billabong is the 7th in the Billabong series by Aussie author Mary Grant Bruce and once again I thoroughly enjoyed it! Originally published in 1921, the writing is old fashioned and quaint, but extremely readable. A thoroughly entertaining read which I highly recommend. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.
The occasion arrived for Bob and Tommy to join the Nauru which was sailing for Australia with the soldiers and sailors returning home from the war. It was their good luck when they joined up with the Linton family – Norah, Jim and their father David, plus Jim’s lifelong friend, Wally Meadows. The Linton’s arrival to Billabong after four years of absence was everything they could have wished for. And Bob and Tommy soon settled in to their lives as immigrants in a new country.
But misfortune was headed their way. Australia was a country of drought and bushfires; of extreme temperatures. Would the Rainham siblings survive their first year in their new country?
Back to Billabong is the 7th in the Billabong series by Aussie author Mary Grant Bruce and once again I thoroughly enjoyed it! Originally published in 1921, the writing is old fashioned and quaint, but extremely readable. A thoroughly entertaining read which I highly recommend. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.
February 8, 2012
This is one of my favourite of my beloved Billabong books, as it was my Nanna;s, and I've read and reread it so many times since I was a child that I've practically memorised it.
In post-war London, Anglo-French Cecilia ("Tommy") lives a life of soul-crushing dull servitude and emotional abuse, being a kind of unpaid servant and governess to her stepfamily. When her brother is discharged from service at last, and they discover a small inheritance, the siblings form a plan - to kidnap the underage Tommy from her family, and escape to Australia. They are lucky enough to fall in with the Lintons as part of the escape, and the second hand of the book looks at their trials in setting up a cocky farm next to Billabong.
Tommy is really an endearing character, and both half of the books are wonderful, with Tommy's Cinderella story and then the more familiar setting of the Bush. When I was a kid, Tommy's flight from her family home was almost unbearably exciting, and I have a loving place in my heart for this book always. (And it is free on Gutenberg for easy ereader reading - a good thing, as I've worn out more than one paperback copy in my life!)
In post-war London, Anglo-French Cecilia ("Tommy") lives a life of soul-crushing dull servitude and emotional abuse, being a kind of unpaid servant and governess to her stepfamily. When her brother is discharged from service at last, and they discover a small inheritance, the siblings form a plan - to kidnap the underage Tommy from her family, and escape to Australia. They are lucky enough to fall in with the Lintons as part of the escape, and the second hand of the book looks at their trials in setting up a cocky farm next to Billabong.
Tommy is really an endearing character, and both half of the books are wonderful, with Tommy's Cinderella story and then the more familiar setting of the Bush. When I was a kid, Tommy's flight from her family home was almost unbearably exciting, and I have a loving place in my heart for this book always. (And it is free on Gutenberg for easy ereader reading - a good thing, as I've worn out more than one paperback copy in my life!)
March 1, 2018
Tommy (otherwise known as Cecilia) and her brother Bob spend half the book fleeing horrid relatives, and the rest of the book relegated to the background as events happen around them on an Australian farm.
Maybe because I've started on book 7 of a series, but I was rather confused by the whole thing. The first half was quite a lovely story of a girl against her evil stepmother and the rescue organised by her ex-soldier brother. The second half seemed to focus on a bunch of characters who I had no connection or interest in and who seemed very two dimensional. This might have been a lot better if I'd connected with them in previous books.
The edition that I have has a picture of a set of racehorses on the front, even though there's literally one scene (at the end) with racehorses. In fact, even though I'm assigning this to my "50 horse books to read in 2018" shelf, it's not really a horse book apart from the cover. But seeing as I struggled through the entire thing to find horses, it's going on that shelf.
Oh, and the second half dragged. I read the first half in a few days, and it took me about 3 weeks to finish the rest because I was that apathetic towards the story/characters/everything.
Maybe because I've started on book 7 of a series, but I was rather confused by the whole thing. The first half was quite a lovely story of a girl against her evil stepmother and the rescue organised by her ex-soldier brother. The second half seemed to focus on a bunch of characters who I had no connection or interest in and who seemed very two dimensional. This might have been a lot better if I'd connected with them in previous books.
The edition that I have has a picture of a set of racehorses on the front, even though there's literally one scene (at the end) with racehorses. In fact, even though I'm assigning this to my "50 horse books to read in 2018" shelf, it's not really a horse book apart from the cover. But seeing as I struggled through the entire thing to find horses, it's going on that shelf.
Oh, and the second half dragged. I read the first half in a few days, and it took me about 3 weeks to finish the rest because I was that apathetic towards the story/characters/everything.
December 30, 2025
The seventh book in a series by a popular Australian children's author who spent time in Europe during WWI.
Her own history plays a part in this book, which opens up in England. Bob and Cecilia "Tommy" Rainsford, soldier and domestic skivvy to an unsympathetic stepmother, decide to emigrate as soon as Bob is demobilised.
On the way over they meet the Hinton family of Billabong, the real stars of the series. Like the author they were in Europe during the war, Jim a major in the army, Norah and their father looking after injured soldiers.
Billabong is a small rural town not far from Cunjee where the Hinton family live on a farm. Understandably they're keen to get back back there after five years away. It's a quintessentially Australian name and the place speaks for itself:
“And when you get back to Australia, what will you all do?” Norah had looked puzzled.
“Why, I don't know that we've ever thought of it,” she said. “We'll just all go to Billabong—we don't seem to think further than that.'
New immigrants are given the name of 'new-chum," a new phrase on me; apparently Aussies hadn't begun to call everyone "mate" yet by 1920. This begs the question, when did Australians start to speak with that accent and slang we recognise today? They sure as hell didn't pick it up from the aborigines.
Anyway, after returning back to Billabong the Hinton's help their new chums establish their own farm, the friendly locals organise a working bee to build them a house, they spend New Year's Day at the races. The only bad thing that happens is a bushfire.
'Memories of war and of gloomy London fell away from them; only the bright present and a future yet more bright filled them; and there was no loneliness, since all the big new country had smiled to them and stretched out hands of friendliness.'
Lucky old Rainsfords! They got to be Australians!
Her own history plays a part in this book, which opens up in England. Bob and Cecilia "Tommy" Rainsford, soldier and domestic skivvy to an unsympathetic stepmother, decide to emigrate as soon as Bob is demobilised.
On the way over they meet the Hinton family of Billabong, the real stars of the series. Like the author they were in Europe during the war, Jim a major in the army, Norah and their father looking after injured soldiers.
Billabong is a small rural town not far from Cunjee where the Hinton family live on a farm. Understandably they're keen to get back back there after five years away. It's a quintessentially Australian name and the place speaks for itself:
“And when you get back to Australia, what will you all do?” Norah had looked puzzled.
“Why, I don't know that we've ever thought of it,” she said. “We'll just all go to Billabong—we don't seem to think further than that.'
New immigrants are given the name of 'new-chum," a new phrase on me; apparently Aussies hadn't begun to call everyone "mate" yet by 1920. This begs the question, when did Australians start to speak with that accent and slang we recognise today? They sure as hell didn't pick it up from the aborigines.
Anyway, after returning back to Billabong the Hinton's help their new chums establish their own farm, the friendly locals organise a working bee to build them a house, they spend New Year's Day at the races. The only bad thing that happens is a bushfire.
'Memories of war and of gloomy London fell away from them; only the bright present and a future yet more bright filled them; and there was no loneliness, since all the big new country had smiled to them and stretched out hands of friendliness.'
Lucky old Rainsfords! They got to be Australians!
September 23, 2022
This is a good book, save one thing. I didn't like the inclusion of Tommy. For a Billabong story, you never hear a word about the Billabong crew until half-way through. You met Tommy aka Cecilia Rainham, a Cinderella character Mary Grant Bruce is trying to shove down the reader's throat. She's not written well, and it feels like Mary Grant Bruce is almost pushing her ahead of Norah. This naturally makes her feel forced. She's bland, but hopefully picks up in later books.
July 12, 2025
What a corker! This is one of the better Billabong books. I love the new characters. The start of the book had me engrossed. There are so many enjoyable elements in this one.
July 10, 2023
This was always one of my favourite Billabong books, if not my favourite. I always enjoyed Tommy's story at the beginning. And I did fly through it in this reread too.
The second half doesn't quite hit the same sweet spot for me, perhaps because I don't remember enjoying the books set in the war, maybe even skipping them, so the homecoming felt like just an interruption of the stories I loved so much.
The building of the furniture always stuck in my mind as a fun part, the race, and the boys working for Joe weren't as great.
I used to reread these books regularly growing up but haven't picked them up for years! It's equally good and strange to read characters that were once so familiar to me, and see them though adults eyes, while still remembering what they once were to me, and I suppose still are in some recess of my inner self.
The second half doesn't quite hit the same sweet spot for me, perhaps because I don't remember enjoying the books set in the war, maybe even skipping them, so the homecoming felt like just an interruption of the stories I loved so much.
The building of the furniture always stuck in my mind as a fun part, the race, and the boys working for Joe weren't as great.
I used to reread these books regularly growing up but haven't picked them up for years! It's equally good and strange to read characters that were once so familiar to me, and see them though adults eyes, while still remembering what they once were to me, and I suppose still are in some recess of my inner self.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews