The Tin Scratchers

Last updated

The Tin Scratchers
TheTinScratchers.jpg
First edition
Author Ion Idriess
Cover artistClem Seale
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Genreautobiography
Publisher Angus and Robertson
Publication date
1959
Pages260 pp

The Tin Scratchers: The Story of Tin Mining in the Far North is a 1959 autobiographical book by Ion Idriess. [1]

Contents

The book is an account of Idriess' attempts at making a fortune mining in the Cape York Peninsula and how he became involved in tin mining. [2] "From his own memories, Idriess provides accounts of the outback characters who were individuals to a man." [1]

Reviews

In The Sydney Morning Herald, the reviewer noted: "That tireless narrator of frontierland tales, Ion Idriess, is still able to find vivid sources of reading interest in the remote outback." They went on that the novel "begins a little uneasily – due, one suspects, to some rather improbable conversations between the characters – but once it settles down to relate Mr Idriess' practical experiences it becomes increasingly interesting." [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sidney Kidman</span> Australian pastoralist and entrepreneur

Sir Sidney Kidman, known as Sid Kidman and popularly named "the Cattle King", was an Australian pastoralist and entrepreneur who owned or co-owned large areas of land in Australia in his lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horrie the Wog Dog</span>

Horrie the Wog Dog was the unofficial mascot for the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion of the Second Australian Imperial Force. An Egyptian terrier, the dog was befriended by a soldier serving in the unit when it was stationed in Egypt during the Second World War. The dog subsequently followed the battalion throughout various locations in the Middle East and in Greece and Crete, before being smuggled back to Australia in 1942. In 1945, the dog became the subject of a book by author Ion Idriess, and is believed to have been destroyed by quarantine officials, although this remains the subject of speculation with some researchers claiming that the dog survived after its owner switched it with another prior to destruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ion Idriess</span> Australian author (1889–1979)

Ion Llewellyn Idriess was a prolific and influential Australian author. He wrote more than 50 books over 43 years between 1927 and 1969 – an average of one book every 10 months, and twice published three books in one year. His first book was Madman's Island, published in 1927 at the age of 38, and his last was written at the age of 79. Called Challenge of the North, it told of Idriess's ideas for developing the north of Australia.

<i>The Sundowners</i> (novel) Book by Jon Cleary

The Sundowners is a 1952 novel by Australian writer Jon Cleary.

This article refers to the works of poets and novelists and specialised writers who have written about the Australian outback from first-hand experience. These works frequently address race relations in Australia, often from a personal point of view, with Australian Aboriginal people used as a theme or subject.

Phantom Gold is a 1936 Australian adventure film about the search for Lasseter's Reef. It was the first feature from director Rupert Kathner.

<i>Madmans Island</i> Book by Ion Idriess

Madman's Island is a 1927 novel by Ion Idriess set in northern Australia. It was Idriess' first novel and was semi-autobiographical, although he invented the love interest at the insistence of the publisher.

<i>Lasseters Last Ride</i>

Lasseter's Last Ride is an Australian book by Ion Idriess.

<i>Gold Dust and Ashes</i>

Gold Dust and Ashes is a book by Ion Idriess set in Bulolo in the New Guinea goldfields. It covers the history of gold exploration in the region, including occupation by the Germans, transfer to Australian governorship, the efforts of Cecil Levien to pioneer gold mining, and the role of New Guinea Airways in the industry.

<i>Drums of Mer</i>

Drums of Mer is a 1933 Australian novel by Ion Idriess set in the Torres Strait.

<i>The Cattle King</i>

The Cattle King is an Australian biography of Sidney Kidman.

<i>Forty Fathoms Deep</i> Book by Ion Idriess

Forty Fathoms Deep: Pearldivers and Searovers in Australian Waters is a 1937 book from Ion Idriess about pearl divers.

<i>Australian Guerilla series</i> Series of books by Ion Idriess

The Australian Guerilla series was a series of 6 handbooks published in World War II by Ion Idriess. Idriess had been a sniper during World War I. The books were written when Australia was under threat of invasion during World War II.

<i>Men of the Jungle</i> Book by Ion Idriess

Men of the Jungle is a 1932 book by Ion Idriess. It covered three years in the life of Idriess and his three companions as they worked in north-east Queensland.

<i>Lightning Ridge</i> (book) Book by Ion Idriess

Lightning Ridge is a 1940 book by Ion Idriess. It was an autobiographical account of part of his life, in particular his time in opal mining in Lightning Ridge.

<i>Outlaws of the Leopolds</i> Book by Ion Idriess

Outlaws of the Leopolds is a 1952 non-fiction history book by Ion Idriess. It concerned the aboriginal resistance leader Sandamara in the 1890s.

<i>Nemarluk: King of the Wilds</i> Book by Ion Idriess

Nemarluk: King of the Wilds is a book by Ion Idriess about aboriginal warrior Nemarluk.

<i>The Wild White Man of Badu</i> Book by Ion Idriess

The Wild White Man of Badu is a 1950 novel by Ion Idriess. It is about two convicts who escape from Norfolk Island and travel to Badu Island on the Torres Strait.

<i>Horrie the Wog-dog</i>

Horrie the Wog Dog is a 1945 book by Ion Idriess about the adventures of Horrie the Wog Dog, the Australian war mascot.

<i>Prospecting for Gold</i> Book by Ion Idriess

Prospecting for Gold is a 1931 non fiction book by Ion Idriess. It is a guide on how to prospect for gold.

References

  1. 1 2 "YOUR BOOKSHELF". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. 27, no. 31. Australia. 6 January 1960. p. 33. Retrieved 16 April 2016 via National Library of Australia.
  2. Book description at Trove
  3. "Reviews in Brief", The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 November 1959, p19