Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: Queensland

  • The Proxy Bride

    The Proxy Bride

    The Proxy Bride from Zoe Boccabella, in a very entertaining style reveals yet another slice of Australian History that may have by-passed many people. Zoe Boccabella begins her story in Italy in 1939. At that time the people in villages were extremely poor, young women had little chance of education or escape from the drudgery before them.

    Post World War I migration to Australia saw Italian men vastly outnumbering Italian women. Single women were not allowed to travel overseas, and so proxy weddings were arranged. The groom would send a photo of himself and possibly one of his house; back in the village a bride was found for him. During this time there were three shiploads of proxy brides who travelled from Italy to Australia. This detail is given in the author’s extensive notes.

    We first meet Gia in her village by the sea in Palmi, Calabria. It is her wedding day, but it is her brother who stands waiting for her at the altar. We follow her journey to a small outback town in Queensland where racial discomfort is evident. However, the Italian community have each other and quickly settle. Happily, for some, not so for others.

    The journey that Gia takes is documented here, interspersed with the journey of her granddaughter, which adds great interest to the story as we see a long view of the new family. World War II means that Italians are excluded from their regular community and for a while they have a curfew, then their trucks and equipment are confiscated before the men are interned. The women join together to maintain the farms but have to face the continuing hostilities from the locals. Life is very hard.

    Both Gia and her granddaughter reflect on her past life, and how the future needs to be different on a wider scale as well as within their own family. The Proxy Bride is an engrossing story.

    The Proxy Bride is a very cunningly written storyline wrapped in Australian history and one that many who have Italian grandparents will relate to, as this is the story of many who took a gamble looking for a better life, marrying men unknown to them then facing the distrust, hatred and strange new world they found themselves in far from their families and homeland.

    As a wonderful addition you will enjoy the Gia’s authentic recipes written at the end of the book.

  • Gun to the Head

    Gun to the Head

    My life as a tactical cop. The impact. The aftermath.

    In his second book Gun to the Head, Keith Banks opens up a world of policing, corruption, bravery and challenge, based on his twenty years as a serving officer with the Queensland Police Force.

    Each aspect of his varied placements in the Force look at the often complex, frequently overlapping areas of Policing in the 1980’s, during a time when corruption was endemic within the Force, all the way to the top and beyond.

    Beginning his career as an undercover cop with the Drug Squad, he and a mate refused to be part of a lucrative ’sideline’ selling a portion of the confiscated drugs. They soon found themselves out of the squad, out of a job he loved, transferred to Taringa Criminal Investigation Branch, eventually reaching the rank of Senior Detective Constable, but found he missed the edgy, adrenaline filled life of undercover work.

    As a part time member of the Emergency Squad, formed to deal with hostage taking and sieges, he and his mate Peter felt they were finally right where the wanted to be; right at the serious edge of modern day Policing. He eventually went on to become a formation member of the Tactical Response Group, facing off against some of the most formidable, ruthless criminals of the day.

    This took a huge toll and it was not until he found himself on the verge of committing suicide, something not uncommon in those days and still to agree today, gun in mouth, finger on the trigger he began to realise he needed serious medical help. His marriage was done, his life a shambles and he either had to get it sorted out or leave what he loved the most, Policing.

    Each of the chapters moves back and forwards through his years of service, each one detailing a case, an incident in the tragi-comedy that was often all part of a day’s work.

    Thoroughly entertaining Keith Banks takes a walk back through a world of varied police work, throwing a light on the dedication of so many men and women who do enjoy the many challenges involved what they consider a normal day’s work.

    Gun to the Head looks at the corruption that was endemic within the Police Force back in the day, at the people who perhaps should never have been in that line of work, but also at the many honest ‘çops’, of whom there are many, trying to make a difference in a world where violence is real and present threat, even on what appears to be a simple, straightforward call out.

    Gun to the Head is a must read for anyone who is into True Crime or enjoys a very well-constructed, totally readable look at the history of Crime and Policing in Australia.

  • Drugs, Guns & Lies My life as an undercover cop

    Drugs, Guns & Lies My life as an undercover cop

    Policing is difficult at the best of times; in Queensland in the 1980s and 1990s it was more so. It was both challenging and frustrating, as the police were dealing not only with villains in the community but also with criminals within their own ranks! In his book ‘Drugs, Guns & Lies’, one of Queensland’s most decorated police officers, Keith Banks exposes both the many short comings of this state’s policing and also the political corruption existing at this time.

    As an idealistic 18 year old Banks passed out of the Police Academy and was sworn in as a proud new policeman ready to help make the world a better place. Within a few years and little actual training, he became an undercover officer in the Drug Squad, traversing Queensland to outwit the dealers and keep drugs off the streets, thereby minimizing the harm to the population. Looking back, Banks now believes the undercover agents were just cannon fodder sent into the front line to integrate with criminal networks, buy drugs and organise busts for the more senior detectives to take the credit!

    This committed young policeman soon discovered that the 1980s in Queensland and its police force was a time of contradiction and ambiguity; there was little respect from the general public for the police. With Terry Lewis and his cronies at its head, there was statewide corruption; the author began to question the motivation and competence of some senior officers – he didn’t trust many policemen.

    Although, the Fitzgerald Inquiry exposed a high level of corruption, the author points out that there were many committed and honest police who diligently undertook their daily job and that it’s a great shame that post this inquiry, the general public had an even greater distrust of the police.

    True Crime readers will find this an interesting and compelling read as Banks gives the reader an insight into the day to day operations of the Drug Squad and its undercover agents. By reflecting on the policing procedures and practices of the 1980s and 1990s, he gives the reader a real understanding of the trauma and sacrifice which these agents made to do their job successfully.

  • Conversations with KATTER On politics,life and things that matter

    Conversations with KATTER On politics,life and things that matter

    Bob Katter is well known throughout the political world of Australia, definitely well known in his home state of Queensland, and not just for his political flair and style, but for his love of a good story.

    In this look  back over his lengthy career in the limelight of public office, Bob Katter revisits some of the many memorable incidents that influenced him and his decision making, as he learned to understand better the needs of the people of North Queensland he represented,  and to find his way through the pitfalls of holding public office.

    Presented as a series of stories and question and answer pieces, Katter offers a majestic insight into ‘the man under the hat’ who says what he thinks, often picking up the pieces afterwards, but more often than not being right on target. Seldom does he take the populist line, stating his opinion in a circuitous manner, before coming to the point.

    He has always had a relatively high profile, beginning as a young child whom be refers to as ‘a scared little schoolkid trying to fend off bullies’, to a teen who brawled and won, growing into a man who took on some of the bullies of North Queensland and further afield, sometimes receiving a bloody nose and other times having a win.

    As a young politician he was responsible for taking on ‘corrupt coppers’ through the Fitzgerald Inquiry, putting an end to police corruption on a major scale in Queensland, as well as what he considers the end of good Government, and having a long held respect for the Indigenous people of Australia, championing their cause where necessary. He is a man of contradiction, certainty, firmly held beliefs, a love of country, his North Queenslanders as well as an avid and strong campaigner for a just cause.

    A wide range of subject matter is addressed in the 23 Chapters that form the background, life and times of Bob Katter, which are interesting, informative and equally as confounding, as they are surprising. His opinions on so many of the issues that are current and topical in today’s world of instant political fame and fortune, in a political popularity contest for position, have a down to earth ring of truth that resonates and resonates well.

    This behind the scenes look at what makes this flamboyant character the man he is and the man who always attracts Press, regardless of the current political situation, is enlightening, entertaining and full of facts backed up by a keen intellect.

    Strongly held views on Coal Mining, the Greens, Pauline Hanson, Muslims, the Banks, homosexuality, politics in general, Donald Trump, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Kevin Rudd, the future of Australia and so much more, make for a totally fascinating read, which is both entertainingly and dare one say, revolutionary.

    Well done Elliott Hanney for collating such an interesting range of subject matter from and by the master of storytelling, Bob Katter.

     

  • Paddy O’Melon

    Paddy O’Melon

    A little joey kangaroo was having a very exciting day as it was the first time he was considered big enough to be able to hop out of his mother pouch. His legs wobbled as he took his first steps watched proudly by his mother. But the peace of the day was shattered when two very large black dogs came crashing into the clearing where the little joey and his mother were standing.

    The O’Melon family were having a picnic in the rainforest when they came across a tiny, abandoned little joey kangaroo fast asleep under a tree, and although they looked high and low for its mother, they could not find her. Being a lovely, kind family they decided to take the little joey home, so wrapped him up very carefully in a warm jumper.

    As he was so tiny he had to be fed from a very small bottle of special milk and soon began to grow up into a strong little joey, who was allowed to hop about the gardens and the yard of the O’Melon’s house. He loved his new family and they loved him. His name was of course, Paddy! Paddy O’Melon, the Irish Kangaroo,

    As he got bigger he became friends with some of the other rescue animals living at the O’Melon’s, but it was not until they began to ask him what kind of animal he was and when he answered “I’m Paddy O’Melon, the Irish Kangaroo,” and they laughed: he wondered why!

    This is a lively story of discovering who you are, about being brave and learning to keep on trying until you find the answer. The illustrations by Daryl Dickson are true to life, making the animals that Paddy comes across on his journey, and should you be so fortunate to come across one, very easy to recognise.

    Beautifully crafted and illustrated this story about a young pademelon kangaroo, will have special appeal to young and old readers alike who will be introduced to a range of native wildlife and birds that live in the rainforests of Queensland, as well as discovering the importance of looking after the natural heritage of this world.

    As the book is based in the rainforests of Far North Queensland, an area that is like many others endangered, there are many interesting discussion which can be held based about the birds and animals in the story, as well as the effects on the rainforest development and global warming are bringing about.

    There is something for everyone inside the covers of this interesting book from Julia Cooper, a passionate and highly regarded naturalist, who sadly passed away in 2011 leaving behind her this wonderful legacy for generations to come.

    Royalties from this book are being donated to Far North Queensland Wildlife Rescue to continue the wildlife work she was so very passionate about