Australian Heroines: 
stories of courage and survival

Susan Geason

ABC Books 2001 

301p pbk $18.95

0-733-30966-6

Biography

Australian Heroines tells the tales of ten young women who have embarked on incredible adventures or have survived against terrible odds. As the title suggests, Australian Heroines covers the genre of Australian history and is biographical.

Australian Heroines is written in a clear style, it is easy to follow and as it is printed in a clear manner, it is easy to read. The language is appropriate for an audience ranging from students to adults, using simple words and sentences. It is a read alone book, however a teacher could read it aloud to a class.

Australian Heroines looks at some aspects of Australia’s history that many people would not otherwise learn about. The choice of stories is interesting and will appeal to many people; 
they are also relevant in many ways to its intended audience – young teenagers. 
There are a few illustrations, pictures of the people involved: add this to the personal quotes in some stories and the book is more touching than a simple only-the-facts story.

I found it interesting, it had touching stories presented in a moving yet simple manner.  However, I found Australian Heroines to be very ‘heavy’ and was only able to read one story at a time. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to others; it is a great way to learn more about our fascinating history. Readers should not pick it up expecting light entertainment.

Carmen, aged 17, Burnie, Tasmania

Australian Heroines tells the fascinating true stories of ten amazing young women whose courage and determination helped them to overcome many obstacles and survive against the odds. These women come from different backgrounds, different parts of the country and different historical periods. 

The stories include that of Mary Bryant who in 1791 escaped from Botany Bay in a row boat with her two children and seven other convicts and sailed to Timor without the aid of charts or maps. Three young, part-Aboriginal girls, Molly, Gracie and Daisy who in 1931, after being removed from their families,escaped and walked the 1600km home dodging search parties. And Brigitte Muir who conquered altitude sickness, the freezing cold and fatigue 
to reach the summit of Mount Everest thus fulfilling her goal of climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.

 The stories in Australian Heroines are really interesting and I’d recommend the book to everyone. I really liked the way that many of the stories were followed by information regarding the women or the social milieu of the time. It enabled me to get a good overview of Australian history in a dynamic and interesting way. The stories are easy to follow and the print is of medium size and easy to read.

I give Australian Heroines and the women who are part of it the thumbs up. Read this book about their extraordinary courage and determination and you won’t look at life the same way again.

Gwen , aged 16, Canberra, ACT