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An Alice Girl
An extraordinary story of growing up in the late 1960s and early 70s on an outback cattle property
Whether working the mobs of cattle with the stockmen, playing cattleduffing on horseback or singing and doing lessons at their School of the Air desks, Tanya Heaslip and her siblings led a childhood unimaginable to many Australians. Growing up on a vast and isolated cattle property just north of Alice Springs, Tanya tells of wild rides, of making far-flung friends over the Air, of the dangers, the fun and the back-breaking work. As the eldest child, her added responsibility was to look after the littler ones, so she was by their sides dealing with snakes, the threat of bushfires and broken bones.
Tanya's parents, Janice and Grant 'the Boss' Heaslip, were pioneers. They developed Bond Springs Station where water was scarce, where power was dependent on generators and where a trip to town for supplies meant a full day's journey. Grant was determined to teach his children how to survive in this severe
environment and his lessons were often harsh. In a childhood that most would consider very tough, Tanya tells of this precious time with raw honesty, humour, love and kindness. This is the story of an Alice girl.
Whether working the mobs of cattle with the stockmen, playing cattleduffing on horseback or singing and doing lessons at their School of the Air desks, Tanya Heaslip and her siblings led a childhood unimaginable to many Australians. Growing up on a vast and isolated cattle property just north of Alice Springs, Tanya tells of wild rides, of making far-flung friends over the Air, of the dangers, the fun and the back-breaking work. As the eldest child, her added responsibility was to look after the littler ones, so she was by their sides dealing with snakes, the threat of bushfires and broken bones.
Tanya's parents, Janice and Grant 'the Boss' Heaslip, were pioneers. They developed Bond Springs Station where water was scarce, where power was dependent on generators and where a trip to town for supplies meant a full day's journey. Grant was determined to teach his children how to survive in this severe
environment and his lessons were often harsh. In a childhood that most would consider very tough, Tanya tells of this precious time with raw honesty, humour, love and kindness. This is the story of an Alice girl.
344 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2020
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June 5, 2020
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An Alice Girl is the memoir of Tanya Heaslip’s life growing up on a remote cattle station just north of Alice Springs. The story includes her parents early life. Tanya’s memoir is a candid warts and all tale of growing up in this harsh land. Their triumphs and struggles.
Life was hard and filled with responsibility not only for the adults, the children were expected to work as well. Tanya tells of long days helping her father with the stock and the deep connection to the land that develops when it is your life blood, your whole existence. I was actually a bit shocked at how hard the children had to work.
“the land would soon shape the way I felt and thought and lived. It was like an anchor deep inside, holding me fast to the rocks and earth and hills around me.”
Governesses, school of the air, illness, snakes, redbacks, accidents, lack of water, fire; life lessons were hard in such an isolated place.
“We knew that death was ever present in our world. Many things could kill us in the bush.”
Tanya’s life although remote was also filled with friendship and community get togethers and I could just picture the family squashed together in the Heaslip’s little plane, hot and excited, off to visit friends and family.
Even though the Heaslip children’s lives were busy they still did many things me and my siblings did as children of the 70’s. Much the same games and activities, although I must admit we had a lot more free time. Tanya’s most memorable present of a typewriter when she was 10 brought back my own memories of receiving a typewriter for Christmas when I was 11 and like Tanya it was my most precious present ever.
The 24 pages of colour plate photographs of the Heaslip family makes you feel like you are a treasured friend sharing in their life.
Tanya’s memoir ends at the age of 12 as she leaves to attend boarding school. A heart-wrenching scene. But we all know Tanya goes on to great adventures in Alice in Prague. However her love for the land never leaves her.
An Alice Girl is an awe inspiring story of hardship, endurance, determination and ultimately triumph over the elements to make a living in the harshest of conditions.
*I received my copy from the publisher
An Alice Girl is the memoir of Tanya Heaslip’s life growing up on a remote cattle station just north of Alice Springs. The story includes her parents early life. Tanya’s memoir is a candid warts and all tale of growing up in this harsh land. Their triumphs and struggles.
Life was hard and filled with responsibility not only for the adults, the children were expected to work as well. Tanya tells of long days helping her father with the stock and the deep connection to the land that develops when it is your life blood, your whole existence. I was actually a bit shocked at how hard the children had to work.
“the land would soon shape the way I felt and thought and lived. It was like an anchor deep inside, holding me fast to the rocks and earth and hills around me.”
Governesses, school of the air, illness, snakes, redbacks, accidents, lack of water, fire; life lessons were hard in such an isolated place.
“We knew that death was ever present in our world. Many things could kill us in the bush.”
Tanya’s life although remote was also filled with friendship and community get togethers and I could just picture the family squashed together in the Heaslip’s little plane, hot and excited, off to visit friends and family.
Even though the Heaslip children’s lives were busy they still did many things me and my siblings did as children of the 70’s. Much the same games and activities, although I must admit we had a lot more free time. Tanya’s most memorable present of a typewriter when she was 10 brought back my own memories of receiving a typewriter for Christmas when I was 11 and like Tanya it was my most precious present ever.
The 24 pages of colour plate photographs of the Heaslip family makes you feel like you are a treasured friend sharing in their life.
Tanya’s memoir ends at the age of 12 as she leaves to attend boarding school. A heart-wrenching scene. But we all know Tanya goes on to great adventures in Alice in Prague. However her love for the land never leaves her.
An Alice Girl is an awe inspiring story of hardship, endurance, determination and ultimately triumph over the elements to make a living in the harshest of conditions.
*I received my copy from the publisher
May 12, 2020
Tanya was the eldest of four children to Janice and Grant Heaslip; M’Lis, Brett and Benny, her siblings, and as they grew up, they were the best of mates, playing, rough-housing and getting into mischief as much as they could. Tanya loved her schooling through The School of the Air; her love of words, stories and everything connected started from a young age and didn’t stop. The only thing she wasn’t fond of – at all – was maths.
But it was when they were helping their father – the “Boss” – that the siblings felt the most contentment. The heat, flies, red dust – they didn’t care about it. Their lives with the cattle droving and mustering alongside the stockmen, with their father flying overhead in his little plane kept them busy, while their mum spent her time keeping the workers and her family fed. Life was tough in the outback, where their cattle property, Bonds Spring Station, was north of Alice Springs, but they knew no other life so loved it...
An Alice Girl is the story of growing up in the vast Australian outback in the 1960s and 1970s, on an isolated cattle property, surrounded by the love of their parents, with their mother being the one to give the necessary cuddles for comfort. Aussie author Tanya Heaslip tells the story of her life from a young age; the important lessons they all learned; the friendships that were made; and the love, and funny situations they sometimes found themselves in. I thoroughly enjoyed An Alice Girl; there were familiar feelings for me too, with the reminiscence of music of the era – it’s a well-written memoir which I have no hesitation in recommending.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
But it was when they were helping their father – the “Boss” – that the siblings felt the most contentment. The heat, flies, red dust – they didn’t care about it. Their lives with the cattle droving and mustering alongside the stockmen, with their father flying overhead in his little plane kept them busy, while their mum spent her time keeping the workers and her family fed. Life was tough in the outback, where their cattle property, Bonds Spring Station, was north of Alice Springs, but they knew no other life so loved it...
An Alice Girl is the story of growing up in the vast Australian outback in the 1960s and 1970s, on an isolated cattle property, surrounded by the love of their parents, with their mother being the one to give the necessary cuddles for comfort. Aussie author Tanya Heaslip tells the story of her life from a young age; the important lessons they all learned; the friendships that were made; and the love, and funny situations they sometimes found themselves in. I thoroughly enjoyed An Alice Girl; there were familiar feelings for me too, with the reminiscence of music of the era – it’s a well-written memoir which I have no hesitation in recommending.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2021
‘Who will I be, if I’m not here, on this land, under these skies?’
This is Tanya Heaslip’s memoir of childhood, about growing up in Australia’s remote outback during the 1960s and 1970s. Tanya was the eldest of Grant and Janice Heaslip’s four children, and with her siblings M’Lis, Brett and Benny, grew up on remote cattle stations in the Northern Territory. This memoir ends when Tanya went to boarding school aged 12.
The Heaslips were hardworking pioneers who developed Bond Springs Station in an environment where water is scarce, the temperature can exceed 45 degrees Celsius in summer, and everything from visiting neighbours to obtaining supplies requires considerable travel.
The children grew up with schooling provided by governesses and through The School of the Air. Tanya loved her lessons (except for maths) and schooling was often fitted around the demands of the cattle station. Janice ran the household, keeping family and stockmen fed, while Grant managed the property.
For me, as a city dweller who needs green spaces and access to rivers and the ocean, living in Australia’s hot interior is almost unimaginable. I admire those who do and enjoyed reading Tanya’s memories of growing up. The children grew up together, playing, looking out for each other, and helping their father with the cattle droving and mustering.
I learned more about The School of the Air, and of Adelaide Miethke’s role in its establishment. I read about the challenges involved in remote learning and the shyness of children who rarely saw anyone outside their own family. I finished the book full of admiration for Janice and Grant Heaslip, and keen to find out what happened next in Tanya’s life.
‘I will go away and live in the other places I’ve read about in my beloved books. I will do exciting things. Then, one day, I will write about this life and the land, so it’s always with me forever.’
Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This is Tanya Heaslip’s memoir of childhood, about growing up in Australia’s remote outback during the 1960s and 1970s. Tanya was the eldest of Grant and Janice Heaslip’s four children, and with her siblings M’Lis, Brett and Benny, grew up on remote cattle stations in the Northern Territory. This memoir ends when Tanya went to boarding school aged 12.
The Heaslips were hardworking pioneers who developed Bond Springs Station in an environment where water is scarce, the temperature can exceed 45 degrees Celsius in summer, and everything from visiting neighbours to obtaining supplies requires considerable travel.
The children grew up with schooling provided by governesses and through The School of the Air. Tanya loved her lessons (except for maths) and schooling was often fitted around the demands of the cattle station. Janice ran the household, keeping family and stockmen fed, while Grant managed the property.
For me, as a city dweller who needs green spaces and access to rivers and the ocean, living in Australia’s hot interior is almost unimaginable. I admire those who do and enjoyed reading Tanya’s memories of growing up. The children grew up together, playing, looking out for each other, and helping their father with the cattle droving and mustering.
I learned more about The School of the Air, and of Adelaide Miethke’s role in its establishment. I read about the challenges involved in remote learning and the shyness of children who rarely saw anyone outside their own family. I finished the book full of admiration for Janice and Grant Heaslip, and keen to find out what happened next in Tanya’s life.
‘I will go away and live in the other places I’ve read about in my beloved books. I will do exciting things. Then, one day, I will write about this life and the land, so it’s always with me forever.’
Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
June 19, 2020
A good story, well told, though it does not quite live up to the high level set by the first book.
However it captures much of the Alice, its landscapes, smells, feel and characters and the life of central Australia very well. I knew Tanya's father, Grant a little and I am sure he thought of me as one of the 'bloody bureaucrats' sent to complicate his life. However Tanya tells well the complex character of the man, both the good hearted father and neighbour and the tough unrelenting other man.
Where the book fell down for me was in where it ended, only travelling through Tanya's early childhood and ending when she is twelve and goes off to boarding school. I know there is much more to the story after that before we discover the woman who goes to Prague in her past book.
And this time was a time of huge change in the place she grew up, the discovery of Alice as a tourist destination, the coming of NT self government, the aboriginal land rights movement, all the aboriginal social disfunction in the town and so much more. And alongside this the story of a child becoming an adult.
I did not expect all this story but would have liked some more, at least a couple chapters of transition to the person who emerges in Book 1. However perhaps this is a story for another day.
However it captures much of the Alice, its landscapes, smells, feel and characters and the life of central Australia very well. I knew Tanya's father, Grant a little and I am sure he thought of me as one of the 'bloody bureaucrats' sent to complicate his life. However Tanya tells well the complex character of the man, both the good hearted father and neighbour and the tough unrelenting other man.
Where the book fell down for me was in where it ended, only travelling through Tanya's early childhood and ending when she is twelve and goes off to boarding school. I know there is much more to the story after that before we discover the woman who goes to Prague in her past book.
And this time was a time of huge change in the place she grew up, the discovery of Alice as a tourist destination, the coming of NT self government, the aboriginal land rights movement, all the aboriginal social disfunction in the town and so much more. And alongside this the story of a child becoming an adult.
I did not expect all this story but would have liked some more, at least a couple chapters of transition to the person who emerges in Book 1. However perhaps this is a story for another day.
September 21, 2023
Highly enjoyed this! What an interesting, rough but beautiful childhood. It lost a star due to its off the cuff depictions of animal violence; I know that this was also part of outback life but it still didn’t sit right with me.
June 5, 2020
I really enjoyed reading Tanya's memoir about growing up in the Outback of Australia near Alice Springs on a cattle station. I'm looking forward to chatting with Tanya tomorrow for work about this book.
August 12, 2020
At the time I was reading this book, we were driving from Adelaide to Darwin so Tanya's description of the harsh country came to life as we drove through it. I felt so connected to the book, reading whilst in the area. Loved it.
November 8, 2025
I loved this book. I was recently on a three week holiday in Northern Territory and visited Alice Springs School of the Air. We were lucky to be there just as Tanya Heaslip, author of this book, was also there giving a short talk to a tour group. The whole visit had gripped me with amazement as to how School of the Air started in 1951 and was able to give an education to children like Tanya who lived on a remote cattle station . Tanya and I were born almost the same year and yet our childhoods could not have been more different in terms of surroundings. Me in a town in England and hers in the outback of Australia.
The book tells of how she came to be living on the station with her parents and three younger siblings and puts into word the starkness of her life and the daily battle with the intense climate and harsh terrain. Tanya was delighted to be able to do lessons for half an hour a day via radio link with School of the Air in Alice Springs. The other lessons were coming from the school as a correspondent course helped by a governess that the family employed to oversee the four children's schools at the station. Tanya was even more delighted to have access to books in the school library on occasions when she got into Alice Springs in person. Her love of Enid Blyton books made me smile as I also loved exactly the same books - The Magic Faraway Tree, Secret Seven, Famous Five, Mallory Towers, etc.
We learn of the struggle to manage the cattle on the farm and how all the young children had to help as sometimes the hired help came and went. Especially the Aborigine stockmen who have a habit of going 'walkabout' from time to time as is their culture. Her father, 'the boss', was very strict and sometimes gave harsh punishments but he as also keen to teach his children important life skills albeit in someone unconventional ways at times.
The station was over 1800 square kilometers which is not huge by Australia standards. However, her father was managing this one and also one over a thousand kilometer to the south near Adelaide. And then he bought a third to the north. He bought a small aircraft and taught himself to fly so he could use the plane to manage rounding up the cattle as well as get between properties and to barbeques dances, parties and gymkhanas that were often hundreds of kilometers away. My heart was in my mouth every time a plane ride was in the story but her father was clearly quite an impressive pilot.
I loved reading about all the parties and events and the friends Tanya made over the radio and later in person. The book ends when she is twelve and is about to go to Boarding School in Adelaide. In the 1970s this was the nearest option if she was to continue her education that she dearly wanted to despite her upset about leaving her life on the station.
This book had me gripped from start to finish and was so evocative of the things I saw during my time in Northern Territory. I am looking forward to reading her two follow on books.
The book tells of how she came to be living on the station with her parents and three younger siblings and puts into word the starkness of her life and the daily battle with the intense climate and harsh terrain. Tanya was delighted to be able to do lessons for half an hour a day via radio link with School of the Air in Alice Springs. The other lessons were coming from the school as a correspondent course helped by a governess that the family employed to oversee the four children's schools at the station. Tanya was even more delighted to have access to books in the school library on occasions when she got into Alice Springs in person. Her love of Enid Blyton books made me smile as I also loved exactly the same books - The Magic Faraway Tree, Secret Seven, Famous Five, Mallory Towers, etc.
We learn of the struggle to manage the cattle on the farm and how all the young children had to help as sometimes the hired help came and went. Especially the Aborigine stockmen who have a habit of going 'walkabout' from time to time as is their culture. Her father, 'the boss', was very strict and sometimes gave harsh punishments but he as also keen to teach his children important life skills albeit in someone unconventional ways at times.
The station was over 1800 square kilometers which is not huge by Australia standards. However, her father was managing this one and also one over a thousand kilometer to the south near Adelaide. And then he bought a third to the north. He bought a small aircraft and taught himself to fly so he could use the plane to manage rounding up the cattle as well as get between properties and to barbeques dances, parties and gymkhanas that were often hundreds of kilometers away. My heart was in my mouth every time a plane ride was in the story but her father was clearly quite an impressive pilot.
I loved reading about all the parties and events and the friends Tanya made over the radio and later in person. The book ends when she is twelve and is about to go to Boarding School in Adelaide. In the 1970s this was the nearest option if she was to continue her education that she dearly wanted to despite her upset about leaving her life on the station.
This book had me gripped from start to finish and was so evocative of the things I saw during my time in Northern Territory. I am looking forward to reading her two follow on books.
May 28, 2020
AN ALICE GIRL by Tanya Heaslip
Review by Ian Smith
I’ve reviewed Tanya’s previous entertaining book “From Prague to Alice” and thought this might fill in the “before” department. Having said that, it offers a whole new insight into Tanya’s life and why she put up with what she did in Czechoslovakia.
Life in the outback can be harsh and unforgiving and when her parents decided to run stock on stations out of Alice it was no surprise to find life a constant, but calculated, struggle. It expanded from one to three stations in the end and it takes strong people to survive and prosper in an environment where 45 degree plus temperatures are the norm in summer.
Raising children in this type of scenario is a whole different experience. A lot of the raising is done by the children themselves, as we find out in this wonderful volume. Tanya is the eldest of three and, later, four siblings. How they endured the heat is beyond me, it has broken many before and will do so in the future. Lines are drawn and the children are in no doubt where they shall not cross. However, this doesn’t mean that life is dull and restricted, far from it. What to them seems normal is like living on another planet to the likes of me.
Her father is a disciplinarian, but fair. If he is the organizer and tireless worker of the property, Tanya’s mother is the glue that holds it all together. That she is an exceptional woman there can be no doubt, dispensing love and discipline in equal measure and being such a significant part of the community that she was awarded an Order of Australia medal.
The parade of characters that came and went through the property would be grist for the mill for many a Hollywood tale; each having their own distinct personality traits that helped them survive in the bush.
There’s humour too. I cracked up at times at what the children got up to, never more so than when one of her younger brothers, Benny, and a friend, Sharon, decided they didn’t like the dull grey colour of a cat so they painted it pink! When chastised and realising they couldn’t rub it off, they then came up with a solution – take it to an outside toilet and flush the paint off! Needless to say the cat didn’t like this idea and its noises alerted the parents to come and rescue the feline.
Life’s experiences as lived in this fine volume are equal measures of joy and suffering and expressed in easy-to-read prose so you feel you are part of the life while immersing yourself in its pages. A compelling insight into life in the sticks.
Review by Ian Smith
I’ve reviewed Tanya’s previous entertaining book “From Prague to Alice” and thought this might fill in the “before” department. Having said that, it offers a whole new insight into Tanya’s life and why she put up with what she did in Czechoslovakia.
Life in the outback can be harsh and unforgiving and when her parents decided to run stock on stations out of Alice it was no surprise to find life a constant, but calculated, struggle. It expanded from one to three stations in the end and it takes strong people to survive and prosper in an environment where 45 degree plus temperatures are the norm in summer.
Raising children in this type of scenario is a whole different experience. A lot of the raising is done by the children themselves, as we find out in this wonderful volume. Tanya is the eldest of three and, later, four siblings. How they endured the heat is beyond me, it has broken many before and will do so in the future. Lines are drawn and the children are in no doubt where they shall not cross. However, this doesn’t mean that life is dull and restricted, far from it. What to them seems normal is like living on another planet to the likes of me.
Her father is a disciplinarian, but fair. If he is the organizer and tireless worker of the property, Tanya’s mother is the glue that holds it all together. That she is an exceptional woman there can be no doubt, dispensing love and discipline in equal measure and being such a significant part of the community that she was awarded an Order of Australia medal.
The parade of characters that came and went through the property would be grist for the mill for many a Hollywood tale; each having their own distinct personality traits that helped them survive in the bush.
There’s humour too. I cracked up at times at what the children got up to, never more so than when one of her younger brothers, Benny, and a friend, Sharon, decided they didn’t like the dull grey colour of a cat so they painted it pink! When chastised and realising they couldn’t rub it off, they then came up with a solution – take it to an outside toilet and flush the paint off! Needless to say the cat didn’t like this idea and its noises alerted the parents to come and rescue the feline.
Life’s experiences as lived in this fine volume are equal measures of joy and suffering and expressed in easy-to-read prose so you feel you are part of the life while immersing yourself in its pages. A compelling insight into life in the sticks.
June 2, 2020
What an upbringing this was, for a girl from the burbs who has never really been to the outback!
This year, my husband and I had planned a trip to Uluru. I had always wanted to go and I thought that once they banned climbing it, it would be a perfect time. Photos without people traipsing all over it! However of course, we’ve had to postpone that trip – probably until July or so next year. When I was planning it, I learned that Alice Springs isn’t actually as close to it as I thought, in fact it’s a four hour drive and I’d have to make our holiday a bit longer if we were to see both of them! That’s how clueless about that area I am…..in the meantime, until I can go there, this was an excellent way to learn a little bit more about it at a more grass roots level, from someone who spent their entire childhood on a cattle property outside of Alice Springs.
It might be the same country I grew up in but it might as well be a million miles away! I was fascinated with the accounts Tanya gave of her and her younger siblings playing outside for hours, learning to ride and muster the cattle on the property, doing long distance learning and school of the air. Even more interesting were how people on remote properties managed to maintain social lives with those others who were also in similar situations. Things like cattle sales and local shows were something that people came from miles around to attend, catch up with others and kick back. A lot of the farmers had planes, so could fly to each other’s properties if required. And given your nearest neighbour could be over 500km away, which would be a 10/12 hour round trip in a car, a plane was not only a useful tool in terms of helping to muster and inspect properties from the air, but also to keep each other connected. Tanya’s father also had a property in South Australia and then added a third property in another part of the Northern Territory and using the plane to travel between them cut down on travelling time considerably. A four day drive between the NT and SA property became an 8hr plane ride, broken into 2x4hr chunks with a refuelling stop in Oodnadatta.
In some ways, this feels like an idyllic childhood. There’s a lot of freedom, to roam and explore. It seems they’re all connected in varying degrees to the land and it definitely teaches a hard work ethic as well as patience and understanding. This is not an easy lifestyle, which is the other side of the coin. There’s potential for a lot of danger: snakes, falling off horses, dehydration and heatstroke, etc. You’re a long way from any medical help and this can be serious, such as the case of Tanya’s mother’s fourth pregnancy. The hours are long, the work is backbreaking. The heat is endless, the dust and flies and relentless sun. It’s a harsh environment and when Tanya’s father took over the lease of the property, the area had been in a drought for ten years. That’s a long time and this sort of endeavour often relies upon things you cannot control, like the weather. The isolation is tough as well – Tanya and her siblings were raised alone and a bit wild….when meeting other children at first, they had no idea how to interact with them. It was a daunting, anxiety inducing experience. For women like Tanya’s mother, you have to be incredibly resourceful and resilient. Her story is told through Tanya’s observations. Never ending cooking and washing and cleaning, taking care of the men with their food requirements is basically a full time job. And those who aren’t happy with the benefits will probably leave and go elsewhere. For Tanya’s mother, connections to others in the “area” (broadly speaking) are vital. The governess/teacher/nanny types they employ to come and help look after and teach the younger children are also a lifeline for the wives, providing adult, female conversation and companionship when they can be alone long hours whilst their husbands are out working the cattle. It’s a lifestyle probably not suited to many and you have to really want it, love it, thrive on it in order to be successful. And I can fully admit, I wouldn’t be able to cope. The heat alone would do me in (I get burned when it’s less than 20 degrees). This was the 60s and 70s – no internet. No TV. No phone. Basically communication was via radio and very limited. But something that did very much come through for me, was that despite all of these challenges, the people who populate this remote area built their own very remarkable type of community.
I enjoyed this a lot. It also stops an interesting point (tying back in to Tanya’s guest post from yesterday) where she’s about to leave for boarding school, so perhaps one day there’ll be more about that experience.
***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
This year, my husband and I had planned a trip to Uluru. I had always wanted to go and I thought that once they banned climbing it, it would be a perfect time. Photos without people traipsing all over it! However of course, we’ve had to postpone that trip – probably until July or so next year. When I was planning it, I learned that Alice Springs isn’t actually as close to it as I thought, in fact it’s a four hour drive and I’d have to make our holiday a bit longer if we were to see both of them! That’s how clueless about that area I am…..in the meantime, until I can go there, this was an excellent way to learn a little bit more about it at a more grass roots level, from someone who spent their entire childhood on a cattle property outside of Alice Springs.
It might be the same country I grew up in but it might as well be a million miles away! I was fascinated with the accounts Tanya gave of her and her younger siblings playing outside for hours, learning to ride and muster the cattle on the property, doing long distance learning and school of the air. Even more interesting were how people on remote properties managed to maintain social lives with those others who were also in similar situations. Things like cattle sales and local shows were something that people came from miles around to attend, catch up with others and kick back. A lot of the farmers had planes, so could fly to each other’s properties if required. And given your nearest neighbour could be over 500km away, which would be a 10/12 hour round trip in a car, a plane was not only a useful tool in terms of helping to muster and inspect properties from the air, but also to keep each other connected. Tanya’s father also had a property in South Australia and then added a third property in another part of the Northern Territory and using the plane to travel between them cut down on travelling time considerably. A four day drive between the NT and SA property became an 8hr plane ride, broken into 2x4hr chunks with a refuelling stop in Oodnadatta.
In some ways, this feels like an idyllic childhood. There’s a lot of freedom, to roam and explore. It seems they’re all connected in varying degrees to the land and it definitely teaches a hard work ethic as well as patience and understanding. This is not an easy lifestyle, which is the other side of the coin. There’s potential for a lot of danger: snakes, falling off horses, dehydration and heatstroke, etc. You’re a long way from any medical help and this can be serious, such as the case of Tanya’s mother’s fourth pregnancy. The hours are long, the work is backbreaking. The heat is endless, the dust and flies and relentless sun. It’s a harsh environment and when Tanya’s father took over the lease of the property, the area had been in a drought for ten years. That’s a long time and this sort of endeavour often relies upon things you cannot control, like the weather. The isolation is tough as well – Tanya and her siblings were raised alone and a bit wild….when meeting other children at first, they had no idea how to interact with them. It was a daunting, anxiety inducing experience. For women like Tanya’s mother, you have to be incredibly resourceful and resilient. Her story is told through Tanya’s observations. Never ending cooking and washing and cleaning, taking care of the men with their food requirements is basically a full time job. And those who aren’t happy with the benefits will probably leave and go elsewhere. For Tanya’s mother, connections to others in the “area” (broadly speaking) are vital. The governess/teacher/nanny types they employ to come and help look after and teach the younger children are also a lifeline for the wives, providing adult, female conversation and companionship when they can be alone long hours whilst their husbands are out working the cattle. It’s a lifestyle probably not suited to many and you have to really want it, love it, thrive on it in order to be successful. And I can fully admit, I wouldn’t be able to cope. The heat alone would do me in (I get burned when it’s less than 20 degrees). This was the 60s and 70s – no internet. No TV. No phone. Basically communication was via radio and very limited. But something that did very much come through for me, was that despite all of these challenges, the people who populate this remote area built their own very remarkable type of community.
I enjoyed this a lot. It also stops an interesting point (tying back in to Tanya’s guest post from yesterday) where she’s about to leave for boarding school, so perhaps one day there’ll be more about that experience.
***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
May 18, 2020
‘I stood gazing at the spines of stories, tentatively opening the cover, smelling the beautiful musty pages, and I knew in that moment that words would always have the power to transport me to other worlds.’
I’m sure many of you have come across this question ‘why do you love to read so much?’ For me the simplest answer is that I read to feel and to be transported to another time and place.
Tanya Heaslip’s memoir An Alice Girl certainly did this for me and it blew me away as rural nonfiction is not a genre I naturally gravitate towards. Tanya’s love and pride for her family, the people she grew up with and the land she grew up on is palpable. An Alice Girl is written with so much warmth, friendliness and humour that it felt like I was sitting and reminiscing with a friend over a cup of tea or coffee.
I was instantly transported, with vivid imagery and engaging writing, to life growing up and studying on an isolated cattle property in the 1960s and 1970s Australian outback. There were some absolutely beautiful passages including my favourite where Tanya describes the euphoria of the drought breaking and seeing the land transform before her very eyes. I enjoyed reading about her siblings antics, the origins of The School of the Air, the life lessons she learned from her mother and father, how music was an important part of her life and I was excited to discover that Tanya and I share a childhood love of The Magic Faraway Tree series and The Sound of Music. I too would daydream and imagine about travelling to other lands with the Faraway Tree folk and this series really cemented my passion for reading.
With An Alice Girl, Tanya really conveys how wonderful it is to preserve stories and family history so that the memories stay with you forever, no matter where you go and all the exciting things that you do in life.
Huge thanks to Allen and Unwin for providing a copy for review
I’m sure many of you have come across this question ‘why do you love to read so much?’ For me the simplest answer is that I read to feel and to be transported to another time and place.
Tanya Heaslip’s memoir An Alice Girl certainly did this for me and it blew me away as rural nonfiction is not a genre I naturally gravitate towards. Tanya’s love and pride for her family, the people she grew up with and the land she grew up on is palpable. An Alice Girl is written with so much warmth, friendliness and humour that it felt like I was sitting and reminiscing with a friend over a cup of tea or coffee.
I was instantly transported, with vivid imagery and engaging writing, to life growing up and studying on an isolated cattle property in the 1960s and 1970s Australian outback. There were some absolutely beautiful passages including my favourite where Tanya describes the euphoria of the drought breaking and seeing the land transform before her very eyes. I enjoyed reading about her siblings antics, the origins of The School of the Air, the life lessons she learned from her mother and father, how music was an important part of her life and I was excited to discover that Tanya and I share a childhood love of The Magic Faraway Tree series and The Sound of Music. I too would daydream and imagine about travelling to other lands with the Faraway Tree folk and this series really cemented my passion for reading.
With An Alice Girl, Tanya really conveys how wonderful it is to preserve stories and family history so that the memories stay with you forever, no matter where you go and all the exciting things that you do in life.
Huge thanks to Allen and Unwin for providing a copy for review
July 6, 2020
Ms Heaslip's 2nd memoir covers her early years until age 12. She paints a glorious and wondrous picture of her childhood world - of the joys and hardships of growing up on a station several hours drive out of Alice Springs in central Australia. She had a freedom that most children, or adults for that matter, rarely have, being able to play outdoors, ride horses and read to her heart's content. She played hard and worked hard helping her Mom and Dad on the large property as the oldest child with 3 younger siblings. Both of her parents instilled within her a love of hard work and a lifelong curiosity about the world. Her Father taught her that once she set her sights on a goal, that she should never give up, despite the inevitable setbacks. Her Mother taught her a love of learning and fairness. One story was telling her about Adelaide Miethke who had the idea of teaching the children on remote cattle stations via shortwave radio, after visiting the Royal Flying Doctor Service. She mentioned this idea to John Flynn who thought it was a splendid idea and the two set about getting the School of the Air established. Everyone knows John Flynn and not many Adelaide Miethke. When young Tanya objected that this wasn't fair, her Mother responded darkly that "Things were different back then." This lead to thinking of why men were rewarded for great works, while women were almost forgotten. She recounts tales of traveling the bush in her Dad's small plane going as far as Katherine for an agricultural show as well of games with other station children, learning over School of the Air with help of a couple of governesses, helping with the mustering of cattle, fighting bushfires and managing the land.
September 3, 2020
An Alice Girl is a beautifully written memoir by Australian author, Tanya Heaslip. It is about her growing up with loving parents, Janet and Grant Heaslip and siblings M’Lis, Brett and Benny on an outback cattle property north of Alice Springs during 1960s and 1970s.
Thank you to Tanya Heaslip for sharing this - she bought me into her life and with her I followed her experiencing a “roller-coaster of emotions”....it was a hard, tough life with sadness but there was joy and fun. Her mother was loving and her father ‘boss’ and ‘tough’ and expected others to be the same. Tanya and her siblings had a lot of freedom and kept themselves amused with a lot of outdoor activities and at times getting in to trouble! From an early age they all worked on the station in the heat and dust, involved in mustering cattle, fighting bushfires and anything else that was needed. Children in the outback started their schooling with School of the Air and Tanya, from an early age, was keenly interested in reading and writing. Music was also an important part of life as entertainment and inspiration - Tanya and her sister would take their guitars with them - and at home took a lot of pleasure in listening to records of classics as well as players like Slim Dusty!
I became so involved that I felt Tanya’s pain when at 12 years old she left her family home to go to boarding school - so much so that I had tears streaming down my face as I finished reading and looked through the photos she shared, with so many familiar names that had come to life while reading her story.
This is a wonderful book as it gives an incredible insight to life in the Australian outback in the 1960s and 1970s.
Highly recommended read.
Thank you to Tanya Heaslip for sharing this - she bought me into her life and with her I followed her experiencing a “roller-coaster of emotions”....it was a hard, tough life with sadness but there was joy and fun. Her mother was loving and her father ‘boss’ and ‘tough’ and expected others to be the same. Tanya and her siblings had a lot of freedom and kept themselves amused with a lot of outdoor activities and at times getting in to trouble! From an early age they all worked on the station in the heat and dust, involved in mustering cattle, fighting bushfires and anything else that was needed. Children in the outback started their schooling with School of the Air and Tanya, from an early age, was keenly interested in reading and writing. Music was also an important part of life as entertainment and inspiration - Tanya and her sister would take their guitars with them - and at home took a lot of pleasure in listening to records of classics as well as players like Slim Dusty!
I became so involved that I felt Tanya’s pain when at 12 years old she left her family home to go to boarding school - so much so that I had tears streaming down my face as I finished reading and looked through the photos she shared, with so many familiar names that had come to life while reading her story.
This is a wonderful book as it gives an incredible insight to life in the Australian outback in the 1960s and 1970s.
Highly recommended read.
November 23, 2024
A story told in simple language but it does not fail to paint a picture of the Australian outback and life as a child on an isolated cattle station in the 1960s and seventies
Tanya wanted to be a writer from early in her life and although she lived the same life and worked as hard as her siblings, mustering and drafting cattle in the heat and dust from the age of seven, her heart was not in it as was that of her sister, 14 months her junior.
As the eldest of three children than four, she had a great sense of responsibility.
It was a harsh life but the family was loving, particular their mother, Jan. She needed to show more love than Grant was able as his focus was on the property, the cattle and the horses.
It seemed to me that his children were important to him in the same way - to improve the prosperity and success of the country that they worked and loved.
Grant Heaslip was much admired in the community and the Cattlemen's associations which he instigated.
His wife went on the promote better educational opportunities for isolated children as her own children grew up and went away to school. Her days were far too busy prior to that.
Modern communication has improved, as have many other things in the outback. The age of computers allows farmers and graziers to monitor what if happening on their properties without leaving their offices. This is a memoir or earlier times.
Tanya wanted to be a writer from early in her life and although she lived the same life and worked as hard as her siblings, mustering and drafting cattle in the heat and dust from the age of seven, her heart was not in it as was that of her sister, 14 months her junior.
As the eldest of three children than four, she had a great sense of responsibility.
It was a harsh life but the family was loving, particular their mother, Jan. She needed to show more love than Grant was able as his focus was on the property, the cattle and the horses.
It seemed to me that his children were important to him in the same way - to improve the prosperity and success of the country that they worked and loved.
Grant Heaslip was much admired in the community and the Cattlemen's associations which he instigated.
His wife went on the promote better educational opportunities for isolated children as her own children grew up and went away to school. Her days were far too busy prior to that.
Modern communication has improved, as have many other things in the outback. The age of computers allows farmers and graziers to monitor what if happening on their properties without leaving their offices. This is a memoir or earlier times.
Read
June 3, 2023Loved the insight in to life in the outback. The history of the School of the air was interesting. Thought it too much me, me, me. Not the most riveting read. I forced myself to continue. Almost read like out back of Alice Springs would never have made it without this family. Kudos though for them making a good go of it and I believe the farm is still in the family today.
It would be interesting to read what the perspective of their life growing up is from the other children, as this is viewed through one persons lens.
Pretty sure that children still do most of these things on these large properties. Though her dad, who she obviously worshipped, behaviour in todays environment would have been frowned on.
It may have been acceptable then, but there is growing movement of how to change the way we behave for instance, domestic abuse often passes down (not saying this was - just a comment on society today) and we have so many resources to help break the cycle.
I don't think I would recommend it as a read, I had to force myself to finish it as it was a Book Club pick, no interest on reading any further books written by this author.
It would be interesting to read what the perspective of their life growing up is from the other children, as this is viewed through one persons lens.
Pretty sure that children still do most of these things on these large properties. Though her dad, who she obviously worshipped, behaviour in todays environment would have been frowned on.
It may have been acceptable then, but there is growing movement of how to change the way we behave for instance, domestic abuse often passes down (not saying this was - just a comment on society today) and we have so many resources to help break the cycle.
I don't think I would recommend it as a read, I had to force myself to finish it as it was a Book Club pick, no interest on reading any further books written by this author.
October 27, 2023
What an enjoyable memoir this was, Tanya the author has a way of describing her childhood that has the reader right there with her. Her memories are very happy ones and the passion in the authors writing about this time in her life is a pleasure to read. The chapters are vivid and realistic and share the beautiful Northern Territory (in Australia) landscape as if the reader is looking at a slideshow of photos.I felt for Tanya’s Mum raising four young kids whilst doing all the usual hard work around the property. There is a family closeness and love through out, a nice change and a reminder that many families are happy and have positive memories. The kinship amongst the four siblings is a delight to hear about, as well as the mischievous things that the children got up too. Tanya shares her inner most thoughts as she approaches age twelve and her genuine reluctance to leave the only life she has known to attend boarding school. It seems the book is the first of three memoirs, so I will definitely be looking for the other two books to read. Looking forward to reading more of Tanya’s adventures!
September 16, 2021
This book has changed my understandings of the life of the people on stations. It has given me new perceptions into music about these type of people and it has made me more aware of the strength there is in families, even with tough love. It is an amazing story, well told by Tanya Heaslip.
I started slowly but soon found myself wanting to ‘steal’ time from my busy day to just sit and lose myself in the events happening at Bond Springs Station. Tanya had my total attention, aghast and in awe of the challenges the children faced at such a young age and wondering if it was not the best ‘education’ for children of the land. By the time Tanya was to start boarding school, I was anxious to know where her adventures would take her next and quite sad to say goodbye to the family as this story completed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I started slowly but soon found myself wanting to ‘steal’ time from my busy day to just sit and lose myself in the events happening at Bond Springs Station. Tanya had my total attention, aghast and in awe of the challenges the children faced at such a young age and wondering if it was not the best ‘education’ for children of the land. By the time Tanya was to start boarding school, I was anxious to know where her adventures would take her next and quite sad to say goodbye to the family as this story completed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 1, 2025
Fascinating narrative of life growing up on an Outback cattle station in the 1970s. I was captivated by Tanya’s account of many different aspects of her life as a child living in such a remote and challenging location: her love of lessons with School of the Air, the meet-ups with other cattle station families, the mustering, the harsh lessons taught by her father, the sheer energy, spirit and loving dedication of her mother. As I’ve been to Outback Australia I could feel I was there in that hypnotic endless landscape; Tanya conjures it up so well and makes us experience life on a cattle station in the most vivid way possible.
An excellent book which will leave you with so many unforgettable images of the life she led with her siblings until, age 12, to her grief, she was sent away to a boarding school in Adelaide.
An excellent book which will leave you with so many unforgettable images of the life she led with her siblings until, age 12, to her grief, she was sent away to a boarding school in Adelaide.
June 14, 2020
I can thoroughly recommend An Alice Girl by Tanya Heaslip. It is a memoir of growing up on a cattle station in central Australia in the 60's - 70's and beautifully portrays the innocence of childhood set against a backdrop of tough bush people, horse riding, cattle mustering, heat dust and flies. Imbued with a love of the harsh environment and a sense of place, it is also a celebration of family, siblings, tough love and friendship. The young kids in the book face challenges unheard of by city kids and have amazing adventures while living a unique lifestyle. Like the best of stories it is about love and loyalty and left me pondering on the fleeting nature of childhood and its deep and lasting imprint on our psyche.
July 23, 2021
Exciting, adventurous and compelling stories about growing up on a cattle station in outback central Australia. Tanya recalls both the 'challenges' of making a cattle station work and the good times as well. In the process, we get an inside and in-depth look at how 'rules may have been broken' because the government guy with a clipboard doesn't have a clue about what it takes to make a cattle station run. And, we also get insights into the 'creative' ways people in the bush have a good time. My favorite is the 'cricket challenge' where everyone gets together at a station and the teams are chosen - the 'townies' (suppliers and such who live in town) against the station workers/owners. If you're looking for a great 'outback' read, this is it.
June 10, 2020
Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Tanya Heaslip for Onkaparinga Libraries first online Author event. Tanya is launching her new book “An Alice Girl” and although I don’t usually read biographies I thoroughly enjoyed her memoir of Alice Springs during the 60s and 70s. Tanya's childhood experiences growing up in the country were so different from my own city upbringing and I feel she has many more tales to share with us.
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December 19, 2020A riveting story about growing up in the bush
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. Written as a series of anecdotes following her life on a busy cattle property near Alice Springs, Tania Heaslip takes us on a journey into her world. Tough and demanding way beyond what most of us have experienced, her life is nevertheless drawn with live and compassion, warmth and humour. I highly recommend this book!
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. Written as a series of anecdotes following her life on a busy cattle property near Alice Springs, Tania Heaslip takes us on a journey into her world. Tough and demanding way beyond what most of us have experienced, her life is nevertheless drawn with live and compassion, warmth and humour. I highly recommend this book!
October 25, 2021
I loved every word of this book as it tells the story of the author's childhood growing up on a cattle station in Central Australia in the 1960s and 70s which is the same years of my childhood but in vastly different places. I am looking forward to reading her next two books as she continues her story of teenage years at boarding school and then travelling overseas.
June 27, 2020
A collection of beautiful, relatable stories for a country kid to enjoy particularly loving the land and the grief of leaving your home for the unknown of boarding school. The book does meander a bit though and there’s some repetitive parts.
July 29, 2020
An enjoyable story from the perspective of a young child growing up on a station out of Alice Springs. Alice is a favourite destination so I found it interesting to read about the difficulties as well as the joys of being brought up in such a remote area. An easy, entertaining read.
August 2, 2022
This memoir is a love story to the land where the author was raised, north of Alice Springs, as well as the people of the outback. Tender portraits of people and ripping descriptions of the tough life of an outback farmer.
March 27, 2023
One of the best autobiographies I’ve read and especially since Tanya seems to have many similar qualities to me. I also appreciate it even more, having met her while visiting the Alice Springs school of the Air last year and hearing her speak and then sign our book copy was precious.
September 20, 2024
Although we did spend some time in the country our experiences did not in any way resemble those of the author. It was however refreshing to read positive thoughts and memories. I definitely intend to read the next book which I believe is a series of three.
September 21, 2024
It was cute because I recognized places and names from my time in Alice. The cattle station was also a reminder of my time at my station and loved going back in time in my imagination for a bit. The story could have probably been told in a few less pages but all over enjoyable.
July 28, 2020
This book was too repetitive - but I quite enjoyed it.
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