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y separately published work icon Love in the Age of Drought single work   autobiography  
Issue Details: First known date: 2009... 2009 Love in the Age of Drought
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'When Fiona Collins meets Stuart Higgins at a conference in Melbourne, she isn't looking for a relationship, let alone the upheaval of falling for an eco-aware cotton farmer from South-East Queensland. But then life never goes quite according to plan.

When Stuart sends Fiona a pair of crusty old boots and a declaration of his feelings just sixteen days into their relationship, it's the start of a love story that endures - in spite of distance, the strain of Stuart's farm entering its fourth year of drought, and Fiona's own issues with commitment. Something's got to give and eventually Fiona puts everything on the line - her career, her Sydney life, her future - and moves to Stuart's farm. Nearest township? Jandowae, population 750. Here, Fiona encounters an Australia she's never really known, replete with snakes on the doorstep, frogs in the toilet, and the perils of the bush telegraph.

Gradually she begins to fall in love with rural life, but as Stuart struggles to balance commercial and environmental realities, she realises that farming isn't quite as simple as she'd imagined. Ultimately, Fiona has to learn how to cope with the devastating impact of the drought that grips the countryside, and what it means for Stuart, the farm, and their future together.' Source: www.loveintheageofdrought.com/ (Sighted 04/05/2009).

Notes

  • Dedication: To the memory of my father Ian Granville Collins (1942-2008)
  • Author's note: I only spent three summers in Jandowae. Not a lifetime, but long enough to begin to understand the difficulties faced by farming families Australia-wide. Many rural Australians don't have any other choice available to them apart from continuing to struggle against the difficulties of remote living in an age of drought, or flood, or fire. In my philanthropic career, I have encountered many charitable agencies doing excellent work in rural and regional Australia. One standout national organisation is the Foundation for Regional Renewal, which assists individiuals, families and communities in rural Australia through a range of grassroots initiatives that build capacity and resilience.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

Boots and All Tale of Romance in a Parched Land Eleanor Limprecht , 2009 single work review
— Appears in: The Sun-Herald , 10 May 2009; (p. 12)

— Review of Love in the Age of Drought Fiona Higgins , 2009 single work autobiography
Smitten on Bush Tracks Karen Hardy , 2009 single work biography
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 6 May 2009; (p. 4-5)
Books Non-Fiction Terry Oberg , 2009 single work review
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 2 - 3 May 2009; (p. 25)

— Review of Love in the Age of Drought Fiona Higgins , 2009 single work autobiography
Books Non-Fiction Terry Oberg , 2009 single work review
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 2 - 3 May 2009; (p. 25)

— Review of Love in the Age of Drought Fiona Higgins , 2009 single work autobiography
Boots and All Tale of Romance in a Parched Land Eleanor Limprecht , 2009 single work review
— Appears in: The Sun-Herald , 10 May 2009; (p. 12)

— Review of Love in the Age of Drought Fiona Higgins , 2009 single work autobiography
Smitten on Bush Tracks Karen Hardy , 2009 single work biography
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 6 May 2009; (p. 4-5)
Last amended 29 Jun 2009 11:49:55
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