The Kimberleys are calling
Story of triumphs and tragedies: Most people will have a laugh and a cry
THE Kimberleys hold a special fascination for many East Coast Aussies so it’s no wonder author Jocelyn Doran’s book – Call of the Kimberleys: A Life Well Loved, has been selling so well.
Dubbo Photo News caught up with her when she was in town at The Book Connection and found that the woman who carved out her niche in such an iconic region began her life in a very different landscape and environment.
“I grew up in Sydney, when I could still keep a horse in Sydney. I was born in Gordon on the North Shore and just loved horses, went polo grooming in Gunnedah in 1960-62 then became an air hostess and visited a Kimberley cattle station where I met the most wonderful man, Tim, who became my husband. He was the head stockman on that station and it’s just the story of our life after that,” she said.
Jocelyn said the stories and images in her book reflect what so many people see and find when they travel to that north-western region of the nation, and how it captures the hearts and imagination.
“It’s beautiful country, rugged, the colours, the hills, the mountains, just beautiful country, the isolation appealed to me. I loved the fact that everyone knew everyone on the cattle stations, everyone knew who the head stockman was, the manager, the bookkeeper and we all partied on. I was just a really fantastic fraternity,” she said.
“You look at that landscape, where the rivers meet that beautiful blue ocean and wonder why anyone would want to be anywhere else.”
While that love of country gave her the soul food to be able to write the book, its genesis came from an unlikely source.
“I live in a lifestyle resort now in Toowoomba and my granddaughter brought a group of school friends ‘round and she knew I had an interesting story. We all sat in the sauna and she asked me to tell the story of how I met Timmy,” she said.
“I’d never been keen to tell that story before but every time I paused the girls were saying “tell us more” and they said it was so fascinating I should write a book.
“That’s how it started really. I had no intention of writing a book but there it was. It took me nine months to write it and another 12 months to have it edited, organise the cover and the photos and finally here I am having a lovely time travelling ‘round the countryside with my book and meeting a lot of wonderful people. It’s just been great.”
Equally satisfying as the people who tell her they love her book are those who want to tell her their stories of the Kimberleys.
“Just about everyone I meet says, “Oh, I knew so and so, I knew someone that was in your book” and when I hear those stories, I just want to go back all the time to the Kimberleys. I loved it so much, but you move on,” she said.
“The sales are going really well, people long for that Australia of legend that still really does exist out there.
“I called it the Call of the Kimberleys: A Life Well Loved, but there are many triumphs and tragedies in my book and most people have a laugh and a cry.”