AustLit logo

AustLit

R. B. Plowman R. B. Plowman i(A44767 works by) (a.k.a. Robert Bruce Plowman; R. Bruce Plowman)
Born: Established: 1886 Melbourne, Victoria, ; Died: Ceased: 1966
Gender: Male
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Works By

Preview all
1 1 y separately published work icon The Man from Oodnadatta : Stories by the First Patrol Padre to the Australian Inland Mission, 1912-1917 R. B. Plowman , Jean Whitla (editor), Wangaratta : Shoestring Press , 1992 Z1017878 1992 selected work short story autobiography Stories taken from the following books by R. Bruce Plowman: The Man from Oodnadatta (1933); The Boundary Rider (1935); and Camel Pads (1933).
1 y separately published work icon Larapinta R. B. Plowman , Sydney : Angus and Robertson , 1939 Z1017888 1939 single work novel 'Larapinta is a novel of a city girl's experience of Central Australian station life'. (Miller & Macartney)
1 Back to Oodnadatta and the Galloping Chinaman R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work prose
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 294-297) Heading back home after many months travelling through his extensive parish, the Padre passes a mileage sign that brings to mind an amusing tale he had heard. An old Chinese gardener who wished to enter his horse in a race was encouraged to withdraw in a rather undignified manner. However, the old man had his revenge.
1 The Prospector Comes Home R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 286-293) Living in very isolated parts of the country necessitates doing things differently occasionally. The travelling Padre recalls some such incidents.
1 Kangaroo Mice and Mountain Devils R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 280-285) In ministering to the needs of his vast parish, the travelling Padre finds that he must perform duties both sad and joyous, and realises how isolation and distance impact upon his parishioners. Nevertheless, in his travels he is often entertained by locals, both human and animal.
1 Black Brumbies, Black Marriages, and Black Opals R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 273-279) Visiting a homestead where brumbies were being broken in by both white and Aboriginal stockmen, the Padre is interested to hear stories of the different cultural approaches and customs of local Aboriginal groups.
1 The Lake with the Unpronounceable Name R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 266-272) When the Padre reaches any small community it is an occasion not only for a church service, but for socialising and for offering advice on all manner of problems. People come in from near and far, including the stockman from Lake Cardivillawarracurracurrieappalarndoo
1 A Coffin in Case and Terry's Dead Horse R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 258-265) Railway stations in the outback, as the Padre describes, are a hub of social activity when the trains pull in. Residents depart and return, goods are loaded and unloaded, and newcomers arrive to be initiated into bush life.
1 Four Dozen Eggs with 'Trimmin's' R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 250-257) Maintaining the railway line in the outback is a constant job, and as he travels through the country, the Padre takes note of any patches that needed attending to. The railway gangers appreciate his assistance, and he is amply rewarded by their hospitality.
1 A Sick Man Attempts to Murder the Cook R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 245-249) Called upon to tend to a sick man, the Padre diagnoses sun-stroke. The man's delerium leads to a threatening situation for some of his mates. The Padre is reminded of a previous visit during which he had also been called upon to attend a very ill man. With limited resources, and no access to outside medical help, the Padre managed to tend the man for a few days until the next train arrived, whereupon he was transported to hospital.
1 Archie's Picturegram and the Etonian Navvy R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 239-244) Travelling on the lonely outback tracks between stations, the Padre shares a campfire for the night with a disconsolate would-be miner who had unsuccessfully sought for a reputed copper lode. At the Padre's urging, the man has one last try. Fifteen months later they encounter each other again in a different location, where the man informs the Padre that his confidence had proved well-founded and rewards him with a monetary gift.
1 Crochet and Camel Blight R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 230-238) Travelling through the outback and calling in on isolated stations and homesteads, the Padre meets with a variety of personalities and is called upon to assist in an odd variety of jobs.
1 Two Visions in White Start a Stampede R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 222-229) When the Padre assists a group of stockmen in a cattle muster, he finds the cattle are fractious. Several times the men are forced to avert dangerous cattle rushes, spectacularly so when two city-bred girls appear unexpectedly.
1 A Night-Watch on a Cattle Camp R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 215-221) Visiting an elderly couple, the Padre is informed that there will be a muster moving close by the homestead and that he has been invited to join the men when they arrive.
1 Wee-Ai Gives Dick a Ducking R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 209-214) Water is a precious commodity in the desert landscapes of South Australia and the travelling Padre admires what locals managed to achieve with their supply of bore water. His camels, however, do not hesitate in expressing their dislike for crossing even small bodies of water.
1 The Mistress of Arckaringa R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 200-208) Calling in to an isolated station, the Padre is warmly welcomed by the owners, a young married couple with two small boys. He is impressed by their generous spirit, but even more so by the wife's accomplishments, as she is totally blind.
1 The Engineer's Wife Bridges the Ages R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 197-199) Visiting a rough bush camp the Padre holds a service which is followed by a companionable concert among the fifteen people present. The group falls to musing on the various methods of transport in use by those present and of the longevity of Aboriginal culture.
1 The Sunken Valley and the Girl with the Boomerang Legs R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 191-196) Visiting an outback sheep station, the travelling Padre gets a lesson in sheep-shearing and meets an Aboriginal girl with an unusual deformity.
1 A Long Thirst and a Dying Woman-Hater R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 186-190) The travelling Padre reflects upon the remarkable capacity camels have to endure extremely harsh desert conditions. He also recalls an old stockman who stoically endured a crippling illness rather than go to town and seek medical attention. The mysogynistic man's reluctance was because he would have to submit to the ministrations of a woman.
1 Mustering R. B. Plowman , 1935 single work autobiography
— Appears in: Camel Pads 1935; (p. 178-185) The travelling Padre recounts some of his mustering adventures and relates a story, told to him by the station master, of a frightening encounter with a death adder.
X