Of The Cattle

In The Tracks

Most people at some time or another want to become cow boys. And some people actually do become cowboys—especially in Australia. Except that in Aus tralia they are called drovers or overlanders.

Australia is one of the last frontiers for cattlemen. Texas has been fenced in, but there is still wild country in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia, where men live free in the saddle and muster huge herds.

This country and these men are brought vividly to life in Jeff Carter’s In the Tracks of the Cattle. This 128-page book contains scores of Carter’s superb photographs and is accompanied by his most read able text. There are also some fine drawings of cattle pioneers by Julie Mattox.

The book tells the story of Australia’s great cattle migra tion—from 11 head at Farm Cove in 1788 to 19 million throughout Australia today.

Carter’s pictures are as authentic as the flies and dust in the drover’s life, yet many of them look like stills from a John Ford Western. This gives his book a double attraction—it’s real and glamorous (at least it’s glamorous to the city reader).

To gather material for his book. Carter travelled Australia’s droving tracks—in a Land- Rover, though, not on a horse— and his book rings with historic cattle-country names. Names like Charleville. Birdsville, Alice Springs, Wave Hill, Glencoe Station. Victoria River Downs and many more.

In the Tracks of the Cattle is a handsome picturebook and the printing is good (although the colour work is just a little dis

appointing) .-

SR.

(In The Tracks Of The

CATTLE. Angus and Robertson. $5.25.)