NOT even the daily smell of croissants and the bright lights of the Eiffel tower could replace author Joy Rhoades’ memories of her childhood in Roma fishing for yabbies in the railway dam and playing in dry creek beds.
While she now calls London home, it was her time growing up in the rural areas of Roma and Emerald that inspired Ms Rhoades to write her first novel, The Woolgrower’s Companion.
The novel follows the story of a young woman called Kate Dowd who is forced to run a struggling sheep station after he husband left for war and her father battled mental health.
All she has to help her through the tough situation is her father’s book, The Woolgrower’s Companion.
She said the sexism and tough situation females working on the land often had to deal with back then hadn’t changed much.
“I don't feel I can comment on life for a woman on the land today but early on in my research, I did look at work by Professor Barbara Pini, (who is) off a Proserpine cane farm herself and her work made me think not so much has changed,” she said.
“I do think there is much more of a community and a sisterhood for women in the bush now though and the CWA continues to do amazing work and publications like GraziHer are filling that gap too.
“While it's set in 1945, I hope the themes are timeless; women struggling to cope with the hand they're dealt, finding strength when they must fight for their family and those they care for.”
Ms Rhoades was born in Roma where her parents owned the John Deere dealership and they were surrounded by family friend’s living on the land.
When she was almost 14, the family relocated to Emerald to set up the tractor dealership there.
While Ms Rhoades was educated at Clayfield College in Brisbane but spent the school and uni holidays working in her parent’s shop.
Just like most rural children her parents wanted her to get a profession after school and so she studied as a lawyer and travelled the world working.
But it was the visits to her grandmother’s sheep farm on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales that never left her mind.
“I'd grown up hearing wonderful stories from her of life on the land,” she said.
“And like my mother, and so many wonderful country women, she had a wonderful kindness and humour, but a sort of gentle steel too, to deal with all the unpredictability of bush life.”
For more information about Joy or where to purchase her book visit http://joyrhoades.com/
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
