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'The epic true story of the indomitable Winifred Steger and her extraordinary life in 19th century outback Australia.
'Winifred Steger travelled to Australia with her father in the 1880s when he took up a land grant in north Queensland. The grant proved to be worthless, and faced with poverty, endless backbreaking work and isolation, Winifred's father spiralled into depression and alcoholism.
'Left to fend for herself, Winifred battled insurmountable odds to maintain her dignity and sanity, finding solace in writing to ease her hardship. Fleeing an abusive marriage also meant the heartbreak of abandoning her four children – but then miraculously she found love with an Indian trader, Ali. Together with their children, they moved to outback Australia where they ran a camel line. A new phase began in Winifred's life, taking her to places she had only ever dreamed of.
'The Washerwoman's Dream is the story of a remarkable woman with a tenacious spirit, and is now an enduring Australian classic. Pieced together by Hilarie Lindsay from Winifred’s memoirs, short stories, letters and unpublished novels, this is an account of the amazing life of a forgotten Australian writer.' (Publication summary)
Notes
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Dedication: To Philip Lindsay, for his unfailing support.
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Author's note: On 1 November 1929, the Register (South Australia) published 'A Page from Winifred's Indian Diary'. It is probable that Winifred Steger kept a diary at other times but, if so, I did not have access to it. There were no diaries among the Steger papers in the Mortlock Library.
The spelling of Arabic words in English is approximate. There is no one correct spelling universally accepted by all official sources. I have tried to use the spelling most familiar to English speaking readers.
Foreign language words not listed in the Macquarie Dictionary (Third Edition) have been printed in italics, and definitions are provided in the Glossary at the back of the book.
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Epigraph: ... Suddenly from deep within my head the images appear .......which of the two lives that I live is real. 'The Country of the Mind'. Hilarie Lindsay.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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The Story Behind The Washerwoman's Dream
2007
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Southerly , vol. 67 no. 1-2 2007; (p. 287-300) -
Biography
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 7 April 2007; (p. 27)
— Review of The Washerwoman's Dream : The Extraordinary Life of Winifred Steger 1882-1981 2002 single work biography -
Enthrallingly Readable
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: Dotlit : The Online Journal of Creative Writing , August vol. 4 no. 1 2003;
— Review of The Washerwoman's Dream : The Extraordinary Life of Winifred Steger 1882-1981 2002 single work biography -
Shining Spirit
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: Dotlit : The Online Journal of Creative Writing , August vol. 4 no. 1 2003;
— Review of The Washerwoman's Dream : The Extraordinary Life of Winifred Steger 1882-1981 2002 single work biography -
In Search of Winifred the Washerwoman
2003
single work
column
— Appears in: Newswrite : The NSW Writers' Centre Magazine , August no. 129 2003; (p. 11-12)
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Shining Spirit
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: Dotlit : The Online Journal of Creative Writing , August vol. 4 no. 1 2003;
— Review of The Washerwoman's Dream : The Extraordinary Life of Winifred Steger 1882-1981 2002 single work biography -
Enthrallingly Readable
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: Dotlit : The Online Journal of Creative Writing , August vol. 4 no. 1 2003;
— Review of The Washerwoman's Dream : The Extraordinary Life of Winifred Steger 1882-1981 2002 single work biography -
Biography
2007
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 7 April 2007; (p. 27)
— Review of The Washerwoman's Dream : The Extraordinary Life of Winifred Steger 1882-1981 2002 single work biography -
In Short
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 29-30 June 2002; (p. 15)
— Review of With Dew on My Boots : A Childhood Revisited 1997 single work autobiography ; The Washerwoman's Dream : The Extraordinary Life of Winifred Steger 1882-1981 2002 single work biography -
Paperbacks
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 6 July 2002; (p. 13)
— Review of The Washerwoman's Dream : The Extraordinary Life of Winifred Steger 1882-1981 2002 single work biography -
Winifred the Washerwoman
2003
single work
biography
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 28 June 2003; (p. 4-5) -
In Search of Winifred the Washerwoman
2003
single work
column
— Appears in: Newswrite : The NSW Writers' Centre Magazine , August no. 129 2003; (p. 11-12) -
The Story Behind The Washerwoman's Dream
2007
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Southerly , vol. 67 no. 1-2 2007; (p. 287-300)
Awards
- 2003 special mention SWW Book Awards — Non Fiction
- Australian Outback, Central Australia,
- Queensland,
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cSaudi Arabia,cArabian peninsula, Middle East, Asia,
- Oodnadatta, Far North South Australia, South Australia,
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cAfghanistan,cSouth Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,
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Mumbai,
cIndia,cSouth Asia, South and East Asia, Asia,