Back on the wool track. Michelle Grattan. 2004.

In 1909, journalist and war historian Charles Bean travelled to Western New South Wales and wrote a series of articles on the wool industry. His writings were later published as On the Wool Track, which went on to become an Australian classic.

Now, almost a hundred years later, journalist Michelle Grattan traces Bean’s footsteps and paints a fascinating picture of the Western Division in 21st century Australia.

Like Bean, whose descriptions brought to life the characters who inhabited this harsh, arid region, Back on the Wool Track is about people.

Grattan visits the wool country and tracks down the descendants of those Bean met during his travels. She visits the once grand stations, encounters a flourishing art market in Broken Hill and observes modern shearer’s doing an old job in a new world.