About the author
Mary Grant Bruce (1878–1958) was born in Victoria, Australia, and died in Sussex. She won the Shakespeare Society’s annual prize several times, having started writing at the age of seven, with an epic on a mad Tsar. She then started work as a journalist, continuing to write articles for magazines while she wrote her books. Her publications were many, but her best known series was the Billabong books. The series stretched to 15 titles, starting with A Little Bush Maid in 1910. This first appeared as a serial in The Leader, and with it, the Linton family was launched. Its publication by Ward Lock in London also saw her change of name, Mary being regarded as more saleable than Minnie.
Although Mary Grant Bruce’s own sister-in-law, Lady Evelyn Seton, wrote a denunciation of the books and advised Mary to cut herself free from them, she carried on. The Lintons had become part of Australian national life, and part of how they saw themselves.
“The Lintons’ world, threatened from outside, withstood challenge, unchanged and untarnished. Australians, and not only children, looking at Billabong, could see themselves as they wanted to be — mates in fortune and adversity, sturdy, decent and fearless inheritors of a tough, but rewarding land.”
(Lynne Strahan)
The books were influential: Auslit says: ‘Scholars have argued that Bruce’s depiction of the bush in her popular series and other books had an enormous impact on the way white Australians viewed their relationship with the land.’ In later editions, the Billabong books have been edited: some of their views and assumptions are no longer considered acceptable.
Mary Grant Bruce married an English man, George Bruce, and the family moved between Europe and Australia several times. After visiting England in 1954, five years after the death of her husband, Mary Grant Bruce decided to stay, and she died in Sussex in 1958.
Sources and links
Austlit
Australian Dictionary of Biography (entry by Lynne Strahan)
Australian Women: biographical entry
Three (at the time of writing) Billabong books are on Project Gutenberg (A Little Bush Maid, Mates at Billabong, Back to Billabong)
A Little Bush Maid & Mates at Billabong: online (you see the illustrations online on this one)
Series
The Billabong Series
A Little Bush Maid
Mates at Billabong
Norah of Billabong
From Billabong to London
Jim and Wally
Captain Jim
Back to Billabong
Billabong’s Daughter
Billabong Adventurers
Bill of Billabong
Billabong’s Luck
Wings Above Billabong
Billabong Gold
Son of Billabong
Billabong Riders
Bibliography
A Little Bush Maid
Ward Lock, London, 1910, 254 pp.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble, 1996
“In this story we first make the acquaintance of those beloved Billabong characters, Norah, Jim, Wally and Co. Norah is the true open air bush girl who, without mother or sister, naturally becomes companion of her brother Jim and his school-friends. As regards the latter, well, boys will be boys.”
Mates at Billabong
Ward Lock, London, 1911, 252 pp.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
Cousin Cecil visits – they do their best to put up with him, but it’s not easy, particularly when he takes off with Norah’s beloved pony.
Norah of Billabong
Ward Lock, London, 1913, 256 pp.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
Norah goes back to Billabong after being away at boarding school.
From Billabong to London
Ward Lock, London, 1915, 320 pp
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
Jim is now helping his father with a difficult horse. World War One has broken out,and Jim and Wally want to enlist. When Mr Linton wants to go to London, they all sail with him, and their ship is almost sunk before they’re rescued.
Jim and Wally
Ward Lock, London, 1916, 256 pp
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
David and Norah Linton are in London when they hear Jim and Wally have been gassed, and are returning to England. They plan, when the boys are recovered, to go to Ireland. There they meet Sir John O’Neill, and their holiday takes a very unexpected turn.”
Captain Jim
Ward Lock, London, 1919, 311 pp.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
World War One drags on. Jim and Wally return to the Front. Norah discovers she’s been left an estate in Surrey, and realises she can use it to help the war effort. Together with her father, they turn the house into a place for wounded and exhausted civilians.
Back to Billabong
Ward Lock, London, 1921, 252 pp
Angus & Robertson, Pymble, 1992
Cecilia longs for war to end so her brother Bob can rescue her from the clutches of her stepmother. An inheritance means they can go to Australia, and they make friends with the Linton family, who are travelling on the same ship. Billabong becomes their haven.
Billabong’s Daughter
Ward Lock, London, 1924, 256 pp.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
Norah rescues a mother and daughter when their horse runs away with them. Wally is almost killed and Jim and Norah hope he’ll live.
Billabong Adventurers
Ward Lock, London, 1927, 250 pp
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
Norah and Wally leave Billabong for a honeymoon after a wonderful wedding at Billabong.
Bill of Billabong
Ward Lock, London, 1931, 256 pp.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
Billabong’s Luck
Ward Lock, London, 1933, 256 pp.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
Percival is sent to Billabong as his parents are abroad and his aunt and uncle can’t cope with him. Percival has red hair, about which he’s teased, and one day he decides to dye it….
Wings Above Billabong
Ward Lock, London, 1935, 252 pp.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
Freddy and Jack fly from Queensland to Billabong to help out with the goldmine. The news that there is gold gets out, and young Bill is kidnapped.
Billabong Gold
Ward Lock, London, 1937, 256 pp.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
Dick and his sister Betty go to be companions to Bill. The gold mine is proving an irresistible attraction, and some very dubious characters turn up. They include McGill, who wants the Billabong gold.
Son of Billabong
Ward Lock, London, 1939, 255 pp.
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
McGill is imprisoned. Wally is exhausted, and he, Norah and their child Davie go off to recuperate. Davie is kidnapped by McGill’s wife.
Billabong Riders
Ward Lock, London, 1952, 192 pp
Angus & Robertson, Pymble
The head cattle drover driving the herd over from Queensland is injured, so Jim and Wally, along with Norah and Tommy, go off to help.