Using 50 years of diaries
Non-fiction author Ian Waples
WITH 50 years of diaries from those living at the Augathella district outback property, Laguna Station, Ian Waples decided to write a non-fiction book on the history of the station. Apart from giving an early history of the Augathella district in western
Queensland, the book Laguna Station. Fires, Floods, Frogs and Bloody Flies portrays the property’s development from 1906 through to the present.
The lifestyles and hardships of those battling the elements in an often harsh environment are narrated from interviews with owners, managers, and families who at some time lived on Laguna.
Diary records start in the mid-1920s and station history prior to that was researched by delving into the Queensland State Archives, the Queensland Government Gazette and the digital newspaper site Trove.
For Mr Waples, diary records couldn’t tell the whole story. Many people gave personal accounts of owning, working and living on Laguna Station.
The stories narrate and bring to life the experience of those in the outback, the hardships, the good times and bad times.
This is not Mr Waples’ first book, as he has written and self-published histories of three other outback stations.
Mr Waples holds the position of vice-chairmen of the Outback Writers’ Festival, Winton, an organisation that encourages authors to write fictional short stories about the outback.
Many of Mr Waples’ books are sold to people in the outback who have a thirst for a further understanding of their region’s history.
Mr Waples has also had good feedback from others who enjoy and appreciate the true stories of the outback.
The book can be purchased for $40 by contacting Mr Waples on 0428 351 152, or at Toowoomba outlets Rhonda’s Refits and Dymocks Bookstore.