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Australian Gypsies: Their Secret History
Today, roughly 100,000 Gypsies call Australia home, yet until now their experiences have been hidden from our history, and from our present. Here, award-winning memoirist and novelist Mandy Sayer weaves together a wide-ranging and exuberant history of Gypsies in Australia. She begins with the roots of Romani culture, and traces the first Gypsy people to arrive in Australia, including James Squire, the colony’s first brewer. She meets Gypsy families who live all over Australia, who share the stories of their ancestors and their own lives. With her own nomadic early life and experiences as a street performer, Sayer brings unique insight into the lives of the people she meets, and a strong sense of their extraordinary history. She also demolishes some longstanding but baseless myths along the way. Her original and compelling book reveals a rich part of our history that few of us even know is there.
320 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
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129 people want to read
About the author
Mandy Sayer
32 books26 followersMandy Sayer is an award-winning novelist and non-fiction writer. Her most recent book, Australian Gypsies: Their Secret History, has just been published by New South Press.
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January 23, 20182.5 stars...
I had high expectations of this book as I've enjoyed Mandy Sayer's previous works of memoir and fiction, and the idea of there being a 'secret' history of Australian Gypsies or Romani intrigued me. The structure of the book was interesting -- alternating sections detailing the chronology of the Romani's patsias, their travels, name changes, brushes with the law, etc; quasi-ethnographic information about the food, clothing, employments, etc of the Romani; and case studies drawn from Mandy's conversations with contemporary Romani around Australia. But it just didn't work. There wasn't enough rigour and too much opinion and generalisation in the historical or ethnographic sections, and too much unnecessary detail in the case studies. The information was repetitive throughout and I got to the end not really knowing much more about Romani in Australia as a socio-cultural group, other than the fact they were here. And the title seems a misnomer. The information presented throughout, shows that the Romani have been visible and documented in Australian press since the beginning, if they kept their Romani identity and cultural practices.
I had high expectations of this book as I've enjoyed Mandy Sayer's previous works of memoir and fiction, and the idea of there being a 'secret' history of Australian Gypsies or Romani intrigued me. The structure of the book was interesting -- alternating sections detailing the chronology of the Romani's patsias, their travels, name changes, brushes with the law, etc; quasi-ethnographic information about the food, clothing, employments, etc of the Romani; and case studies drawn from Mandy's conversations with contemporary Romani around Australia. But it just didn't work. There wasn't enough rigour and too much opinion and generalisation in the historical or ethnographic sections, and too much unnecessary detail in the case studies. The information was repetitive throughout and I got to the end not really knowing much more about Romani in Australia as a socio-cultural group, other than the fact they were here. And the title seems a misnomer. The information presented throughout, shows that the Romani have been visible and documented in Australian press since the beginning, if they kept their Romani identity and cultural practices.
July 11, 2018
When I was a little girl, my father was always going off adventuring. One day I asked my grandmother why he loved travelling so much, and she laughed a little and said, ‘oh, darling, it’s the gypsy in him.’
Now, I do not know if she was speaking literally or metaphorically but I’ve been fascinated by the Roma ever since. I used to dress up in a gypsy skirt and embroidered blouse, and call myself Mitzi, and my sister and brother and I were always camping out under the stars and cooking sausages on the campfire. As I got older, I began to collect books about the Roma and their fascinating and tragic history. This interest culminated in ‘The Chain of Charms’, a series of six historical novels about the adventures of two Romani children in the final weeks of Oliver Cromwell’s rule in 17th century England.
While researching ‘The Chain of Charms’, I tried numerous times to make contact with the Romanichal community in the UK, particularly the Finch and Smith families who were the descendants of the real-life Queen of the Gypsies I was writing about. I had no luck at all. In the end, after the books were written and published, I met by the purest chance a member of the Finch family who told me that there were a great many Roma in Australia. I was so interested to hear his story, and tried to research more, but once again found it difficult to make contact or open lines of communication.
So when I saw that Mandy Sayer – a writer I had read and admired for years – was working on a history of the Roma, I knew that I wanted to read the resulting book. I went along to her launch, where Romani musicians played and danced, and then later that week I began to read it.
Australian Gypsies: A Secret History begins with Mandy Sayer’s own first encounter with the Roma, in Hungary, which sparked her fascination with their rich and secretive culture. Then she moves on to a brief summary of their history – their slow migration from India to Europe in the 11th-13th centuries, and their many years spent wandering and making a sketchy living as dancers, musicians, fortune-tellers, and horse-traders. Gradually the prejudice against the dark-skinned outsiders grew and persecution intensified, until the horrors of the Holocaust, where 1.5 million Romani were exterminated in death camps. I was deeply familiar with this history, thanks to my own research, but it is always interesting to read it again.
The narrative then moves to the history of the Romani in Australia, and in Mandy Sayer’s own personal experience in researching their lives and telling their stories. This was all new to me, and deeply interesting. I did not know, for example, that there were three Romani men on the First Fleet and that was one of them was James Squire, Australia’s first brewer. I really loved hearing the stories of the many different families who came to Australia hoping for a place of safety to call home, and the subsequent generations who have lived here since. Mandy Sayer’s account of the history of the Australian Roma is truly an enthralling untold story. I just wished that she had confessed how she came to win the confidence and friendship of people who are notoriously suspicious of the Gadje (non-Romani people), and perhaps a little more about the youngest generations and how they perceive their lives and culture changing and growing into the future. These are minor quibbles, however. The book itself is a brilliant piece of untold social history and will hopefully do much to break down any existing prejudices still remaining in our society.
Now, I do not know if she was speaking literally or metaphorically but I’ve been fascinated by the Roma ever since. I used to dress up in a gypsy skirt and embroidered blouse, and call myself Mitzi, and my sister and brother and I were always camping out under the stars and cooking sausages on the campfire. As I got older, I began to collect books about the Roma and their fascinating and tragic history. This interest culminated in ‘The Chain of Charms’, a series of six historical novels about the adventures of two Romani children in the final weeks of Oliver Cromwell’s rule in 17th century England.
While researching ‘The Chain of Charms’, I tried numerous times to make contact with the Romanichal community in the UK, particularly the Finch and Smith families who were the descendants of the real-life Queen of the Gypsies I was writing about. I had no luck at all. In the end, after the books were written and published, I met by the purest chance a member of the Finch family who told me that there were a great many Roma in Australia. I was so interested to hear his story, and tried to research more, but once again found it difficult to make contact or open lines of communication.
So when I saw that Mandy Sayer – a writer I had read and admired for years – was working on a history of the Roma, I knew that I wanted to read the resulting book. I went along to her launch, where Romani musicians played and danced, and then later that week I began to read it.
Australian Gypsies: A Secret History begins with Mandy Sayer’s own first encounter with the Roma, in Hungary, which sparked her fascination with their rich and secretive culture. Then she moves on to a brief summary of their history – their slow migration from India to Europe in the 11th-13th centuries, and their many years spent wandering and making a sketchy living as dancers, musicians, fortune-tellers, and horse-traders. Gradually the prejudice against the dark-skinned outsiders grew and persecution intensified, until the horrors of the Holocaust, where 1.5 million Romani were exterminated in death camps. I was deeply familiar with this history, thanks to my own research, but it is always interesting to read it again.
The narrative then moves to the history of the Romani in Australia, and in Mandy Sayer’s own personal experience in researching their lives and telling their stories. This was all new to me, and deeply interesting. I did not know, for example, that there were three Romani men on the First Fleet and that was one of them was James Squire, Australia’s first brewer. I really loved hearing the stories of the many different families who came to Australia hoping for a place of safety to call home, and the subsequent generations who have lived here since. Mandy Sayer’s account of the history of the Australian Roma is truly an enthralling untold story. I just wished that she had confessed how she came to win the confidence and friendship of people who are notoriously suspicious of the Gadje (non-Romani people), and perhaps a little more about the youngest generations and how they perceive their lives and culture changing and growing into the future. These are minor quibbles, however. The book itself is a brilliant piece of untold social history and will hopefully do much to break down any existing prejudices still remaining in our society.
December 13, 2017
Mandy Sayer has an easy, natural way of writing. Given her early life as a street performer she also has a natural empathy for the Australian Romanis she meets. Her alternate chapters of the history of Romanis in Australia, a bit on Romani culture and then interviews with Romanis now living in Australia also work.
But it is in these chapters of interviews where the book falls down. She tries too hard to find storylines and there are too many times where she becomes the storyline.
Nonetheless, it is an interesting book with the sections of Romani culture full of new facts for me.
But it is in these chapters of interviews where the book falls down. She tries too hard to find storylines and there are too many times where she becomes the storyline.
Nonetheless, it is an interesting book with the sections of Romani culture full of new facts for me.
December 6, 2017
I'd been looking forward to reading this book as the experiences of the Romani in Australia are little-known, but I was disappointed with it.
Sayer's chapters on the history of the Romani are informative and interesting, as are her brief sections on aspects of Romani culture such as music, food, and the laws of cleanliness.
The book falls down in Sayer's profiles of Romani people she met. She inserts herself into these chapters so much that it is downright intrusive. I felt like yelling, 'Mandy, this isn't about you!' I don't know why she thought readers would be interested in a description of her washing her bowl at an outdoor Hungarian goulash-tasting festival, and I didn't need to know that she doesn't wear underpants. Whole sections of her profiles focused on Mandy Sayer and consisted of material that should have been confined to her private journal.
Too often I found Sayer's writing pedestrian. It is also occasionally repetitive. She overuses the words 'unfortunately' and 'obviously' and describes almost every Romani home she entered as 'impeccably clean'.
I've given Australian Gypsies three stars solely for the information it contains.
Sayer's chapters on the history of the Romani are informative and interesting, as are her brief sections on aspects of Romani culture such as music, food, and the laws of cleanliness.
The book falls down in Sayer's profiles of Romani people she met. She inserts herself into these chapters so much that it is downright intrusive. I felt like yelling, 'Mandy, this isn't about you!' I don't know why she thought readers would be interested in a description of her washing her bowl at an outdoor Hungarian goulash-tasting festival, and I didn't need to know that she doesn't wear underpants. Whole sections of her profiles focused on Mandy Sayer and consisted of material that should have been confined to her private journal.
Too often I found Sayer's writing pedestrian. It is also occasionally repetitive. She overuses the words 'unfortunately' and 'obviously' and describes almost every Romani home she entered as 'impeccably clean'.
I've given Australian Gypsies three stars solely for the information it contains.
March 16, 2021
I really like Mandy Sayer's writing and was expecting a lot from this book - perhaps I was expecting a bit too much.
Although interesting, for me this book fell a little flat. While filled with facts and a few insightful interviews, Australian Gypsies: Their Secret History reads more like an an extended anecdote than an in-depth look at this topic. Possibly it is the nature of secrecy, which has held this community safe in Australia for so long, that prevented Sayer from doing much more than scratch the surface. Or perhaps Sayer was being conscious of being an outsider (or Gadje) writing this history, and this made her hold back in her writing. Whatever the reason, the book doesn't fulfill the promise of its enticing title.
I finished the book because it had just enough momentum to keep me reading. Ultimately, however, I was left somewhat disappointed.
Although interesting, for me this book fell a little flat. While filled with facts and a few insightful interviews, Australian Gypsies: Their Secret History reads more like an an extended anecdote than an in-depth look at this topic. Possibly it is the nature of secrecy, which has held this community safe in Australia for so long, that prevented Sayer from doing much more than scratch the surface. Or perhaps Sayer was being conscious of being an outsider (or Gadje) writing this history, and this made her hold back in her writing. Whatever the reason, the book doesn't fulfill the promise of its enticing title.
I finished the book because it had just enough momentum to keep me reading. Ultimately, however, I was left somewhat disappointed.
March 10, 2018
I really enjoyed this book and am confused by the judgement of her writing. I enjoyed all aspects of the book - the history, information about the culture, and her writing from experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and really felt as though I got to know the history of the Romani people as well as the individuals themselves. A truly enjoyable book
August 13, 2023
Most Roma in Australia trace their roots to the United Kingdom and Greece, who in return trace their roots to northern India.Despite its wide use, many Romani people consider the term "Gypsy" to be a racial slur and are offended or made uncomfortable by its use. The word traces its origin to Europeans incorrectly surmising that Romani people originated from Egypt.The Roma population originated in the northwestern regions of India.Following a history of violence and brutality, communities have migrated internationally, with the majority of members living throughout Europe.The arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 brought Romani people to Australia.Notable names in this population include James Squire, who went on to establish the first brewery in Australia.Historically, Romani communities across the world have held jobs that support their nomadic lifestyle. As well as this, the lower levels of education within the group also affect the job titles they can pursue.The typical occupational fields for this community include agriculture and livestock traders, repairmen and engineers, and entertainment, often seen through fortune-telling and music.The customs and traditions of the Romani diaspora differ in each established society due to factors such as the environment, population size and public attitudes, which influence the practice of culture. There are some cultural values that are fundamental to the ethnic group and, therefore, widely rehearsed. Marriage is a large institution within Romani culture and is highly valued.
Many Roma do not publicly acknowledge their heritage due to fear of discrimination and racism.Rituals and traditions are adjusted accordingly, creating variation across the diaspora. This flexibility demonstrates the Romani desire to be accepted in the inhabited countries in order to avoid cultural conflict and discrimination.Persecution against the Romani has also led to many of the cultural practices being extinguished, hidden or modified in order to survive in a country that has excluded them ethnically and culturally. The Romani identify as distinct ethnicities based in part on territorial, cultural,and dialectal differences.
Many Roma do not publicly acknowledge their heritage due to fear of discrimination and racism.Rituals and traditions are adjusted accordingly, creating variation across the diaspora. This flexibility demonstrates the Romani desire to be accepted in the inhabited countries in order to avoid cultural conflict and discrimination.Persecution against the Romani has also led to many of the cultural practices being extinguished, hidden or modified in order to survive in a country that has excluded them ethnically and culturally. The Romani identify as distinct ethnicities based in part on territorial, cultural,and dialectal differences.
January 17, 2018
This was a really fascinating book about a subject most Australians wouldn't have a clue. It turns out the first Gypsies arrived with the first fleet, including James Squire, the first brewer of beer in Australia. It turns out though as the Rom or Roma as they call themselves would not identify themselves as Gypsies upon arrival in Australia, fearing further persecution, and thus tried to hide their identity. Many continued to live their nomadic life, working for themselves as artisans, craftsmen, circus performers and fortune tellers with many joining Jimmy Sharman's boxing troupe. The book had its genesis when Ms. Sayer and her partner were invited to Hungary in 2006 to write a script for a film that wound up never being made. On that trip, they met a band of Gypsies, sharing a meal and long conversation and her thirst for knowledge of these people grew. The book is an amazing journey through time tracing several families from arrival in the 19th century through today. "The Gypsies gave Australia our first beer brewer; some of our first friendships with the Aboriginal community, the first State Premier of NSW, and some of our first refugees - and what could be more Australian than that?" For those interested in Australian history.
March 14, 2018
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Australian Gypsies: Their Secret History by Mandy Sayer. (2018).
This is a non-fiction book that explores the history of ‘Gypsies’ in Australia. The author traces the roots of the first Gypsies to arrive in Australia and explains various customs and traditions of the Gypsy people as well as the persecution they have suffered throughout the years. The book also includes interviews with modern Gypsies.
I don’t read a lot of non-fiction but this one was recommended by a friend and sounded very interesting. I of course have heard of Gypsies but did not know much about them other than the obvious stereotypes that people talk about. I liked the way the book was broken up: there were three main ‘sections’ (history, customs/traditions/facts, interviews with Gypsy persons) but these sections alternated (i.e. a chapter on history, then traditions, then interviews and repeat). The language used by the author is simple and you can really see her own interest in the Gypsy culture and history. I found the book quite engaging and thought-provoking.
Australian Gypsies: Their Secret History by Mandy Sayer. (2018).
This is a non-fiction book that explores the history of ‘Gypsies’ in Australia. The author traces the roots of the first Gypsies to arrive in Australia and explains various customs and traditions of the Gypsy people as well as the persecution they have suffered throughout the years. The book also includes interviews with modern Gypsies.
I don’t read a lot of non-fiction but this one was recommended by a friend and sounded very interesting. I of course have heard of Gypsies but did not know much about them other than the obvious stereotypes that people talk about. I liked the way the book was broken up: there were three main ‘sections’ (history, customs/traditions/facts, interviews with Gypsy persons) but these sections alternated (i.e. a chapter on history, then traditions, then interviews and repeat). The language used by the author is simple and you can really see her own interest in the Gypsy culture and history. I found the book quite engaging and thought-provoking.
November 12, 2019
Having had a friend, sadly now deceased, who was a Gypsy from Britain, this endeared me to the book. I enjoyed reading of the areas of Australia, many of which I know around Sydney, which were home to Romany families. The author makes herself a part of the book to a great extent but I saw this neither as a plus nor a minus, just a way of dealing with the story from a person who is comfortable socialising with strangers and who feels naturally akin to this group. The initial history of the Romany people who exiled themselves from India was interesting and new information for me, while their enslavement over 500 years was a terrible idea to get one's head around.
January 7, 2019
I’m giving this book 4 stars due to the fascinating content as much as the writing. I had never thought about there being Gypsies in Australia. In fact I don’t think I’d ever considered that they were part of Australia’s history. A fascinating insight into their culture and history by a writer who got to know some of them personally.
December 11, 2023
Mandy Sayer’s book on Australian Gypsies is a wonderful read. I knew nothing about the history of the Roma when I picked up this book and found it very informative. Mandy’s research was thorough as she traveled all over Australia interviewing Roma. Highly recommended!!
December 28, 2017
A look at a different and amazing culture that sits on a significant bench down under.
January 27, 2018
Awful. Sayer is not a historian. I can't finish it.
May 15, 2018
I really liked the historical sections of the book but it was long.
October 27, 2022
I found this book quite interesting as it covered a part of Australia's history that I had never before considered. It was interesting but not compelling.
The first section of the book covered the treatment of Romani people in Europe, which helped to explain both their willingness to come to Australia and their reluctance to reveal their true heritage. After such persecution in Europe, the Romani were amazed to discover that there were, and never were, any laws against their people, such as compulsory sterilisation or the taking away of their children. We all know those laws were enacted against the Aboriginal people though.
There were three Gypsies or Romani on the First Fleet, two as convicts and one as a shipman. One of these convicts was James Squire who was the become famous as Australia's first beer brewer. You can still purchase James Squire beer today and the names of the beers relate to his convict past. James Squire befriended the local Aboriginal people and became great friends with Baneelon (Bennelong).
It was also interesting to discover that Henry Lawson's mother came an English gypsy family. He followed his family's tradition of oral storytelling and so forged Australia's first literary form - the bush yarn or tall tale.
The first state Premier of New South Wales was also a Romani.
Many of the Australian Romani were still travelling in the 1980s, when it seemed that all but a very few settled down in permanent homes. Many of the older Romani interviewed for the book miss the lifestyle and still feel stifled in a house.
In an interview conducted in 2016, a Romani man stated that Australia is the only country where a Gypsy would admit to an outsider that they were a Gypsy. They credit this with the fact that Australia is the only country never to have passed laws against them.
The first section of the book covered the treatment of Romani people in Europe, which helped to explain both their willingness to come to Australia and their reluctance to reveal their true heritage. After such persecution in Europe, the Romani were amazed to discover that there were, and never were, any laws against their people, such as compulsory sterilisation or the taking away of their children. We all know those laws were enacted against the Aboriginal people though.
There were three Gypsies or Romani on the First Fleet, two as convicts and one as a shipman. One of these convicts was James Squire who was the become famous as Australia's first beer brewer. You can still purchase James Squire beer today and the names of the beers relate to his convict past. James Squire befriended the local Aboriginal people and became great friends with Baneelon (Bennelong).
It was also interesting to discover that Henry Lawson's mother came an English gypsy family. He followed his family's tradition of oral storytelling and so forged Australia's first literary form - the bush yarn or tall tale.
The first state Premier of New South Wales was also a Romani.
Many of the Australian Romani were still travelling in the 1980s, when it seemed that all but a very few settled down in permanent homes. Many of the older Romani interviewed for the book miss the lifestyle and still feel stifled in a house.
In an interview conducted in 2016, a Romani man stated that Australia is the only country where a Gypsy would admit to an outsider that they were a Gypsy. They credit this with the fact that Australia is the only country never to have passed laws against them.
April 22, 2019
This is a brilliantly researched history of the Gypsies in Australia. Having no knowledge whatsoever about Gypsies and really just knowing the stereotypes we are fed in the media, I found this book to be sensitive and detailed, while presenting a huge amount of information about a relatively unrecorded topic. Through many interviews with generations of Romani people, Mandy Sayer outlines their history, their relationships and familial attachments, tribes and customs. She writes about the persecution of these people over centuries and how they eventually found a safe haven in Australia. Sayer is an exceptional writer and I highly recommend this book to learn why the Gypsies have had such a secretive history.
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