Ion Idriess

Ion Llewellyn Idriess, OBE (1889-1979) was a prolific and influential Australian author. He wrote more than 50 books over 43 years between 1927 to 1969 – an average of one book every 10 months -and twice published three books in one year (1932 and 1940). His first book was Madman's Island, published in 1927 at the age of 38, and his last was written at the age of 79. Called Challenge of the North, it told of Idriess's ideas for developing the north of Australia.

Stop Press...As of June 2017, I have another two of his books, taking my tally to 7. Lois and I were at the Niddrie shops for a morning coffee when I browsed the second hand books in the St Vincent de Paul Charity Shop. Lo and  behold, there was the anthology Greatest Stories Vol I (1986) on sale for $2. Wow! That means I can now pass on my standalone copy of Lasseter's Last Ride to one of my brothers.

• Lasseter's Last Ride (1931)
• Greatest Stories Vol I (1986) - anthology containing the Cattle King (1936), Flynn of the Inland (1932) and Lasseter's Last Ride (1931)
• Greatest Stories Vol II (1986) - anthology containing The Silver City (1956), Lightning Ridge (1940) and The Desert Column (1932)
• The Silent Service (1944)

Ion Idriess - Lassiter's Last Ride (1931)

This was one of my mother's books but I have been unable to find it for some years now so I assume it has gone for good. I was recently at the Clunes Book Weekend in Clunes, country Victoria (May 2017) , and I purchased a 1952 edition, in very good condition with original dust cover. 

This particular book is Idriess’s  second book. Harold Bell Lasseter was an Australian explorer who claimed to have found a huge gold reef in the desert, somewhere between Western Australia and The Northern Territory. In 1930 he had raised enough money to fund an expedition, and set off in search of the reef. After being abandoned as a madman by his crew, and then his camels, he never returned.

His remains, along with a diary, were discovered by Bob Buck in March of 1931, with Lasseter thought to have perished around the end of January. His ‘diary’ revealed that he had lived among Aborigines for several months in the Petermann Ranges and had most likely died of starvation.

The ongoing popularity of the book can be seen in the many editions that were produced. The interesting thing, from a modern perspective, is that Idriess believed that the reef existed and that Lasseter had found it on a couple of occasions. He waxes at the end of the story that it is now only a matter of time before it is found. Of course, it has never been found and Lasseter has since been discredited as probably delusional. A good appraisal and alternate history of Lasseter can be found in 'Lasseter's Lost Reef', the final chapter of the excellent 'Gold' by David Hill (which I also have).

But all that put aside, it is a fantastic book and was Idriess's first best seller. Idriess paints a wonderful picture of the primitive aboriginal people with their nomadic ways and their beliefs and practices, now long gone. The pace is riveting. A vivid picture of the harsh and unforgiving Australian interior and the tough men who conquered it.

Definitely 10 out of 10.

Ion Idriess - The Silver City

I was prompted to read The Silver City in September 2014 as it is a history of Broken Hill and surrounding areas and I had just returned from an outback NSW jaunt that took in this wonderful inland city.

It was one of 3 books in an anthology called Greatest Stories Vol II (1986) - the books are The Silver City, Lightning Ridge and The Desert Column.

The book was fantastic. It focused initially on Idriess's early life as a youngster, growing up in a very different Australia to what we see now and his travels with his father. But it quickly developed into an indepth historical discussion of the early exploration of that desolate area of outback NSW, the birth of Broken Hill and Silverton and places like Cooper Pedy. I would recommend it to any Australian. It was hard to put down once I started reading it.

How's this for a life summary (http://www.ebay.com.au/gds/Collecting-Ion-L-Idriess-Books-/10000000001244436/g.html).

Idriess led a life most could only dream about. The quintessential Australian, he inspired many and was instrumental in popularising Australian writing before it was considered viable. Even today his book on gold prospecting is sought after for its invaluable information. Reference to his Guerilla Series is made on US military sites. Idriess led an amazing life probably due to his passionate, enquiring nature and disarming ingenuity. He survived typhoid, mined for gold and opals, was one of the legendary 'blooded' ANZAC's having fought and been seriously injured at Gallipoli, was marooned on a deserted island with a mate that went mad and tried to kill him, trained with Snowy Baker, a 1908 Olympic Games silver medallist for boxing, after being told he would never walk again without crutches and went on to fight in a boxing exhibition at Grafton, wrote text books for the Australian Army in WW II, travelled extensively throughout Cape York Peninsula often with Aboriginals beginning his life-long interest in their customs, and then on to the cattle stations of the Guld of Carpentaria, hunted crocodiles, knew poverty, broke in horses, chronicled the rites and history of some indigenous races, saving their culture from anonymity, just to name a few of his experiences. Jack was awarded an OBE for his services to publishing and died a few months short of his 90th birthday.