The Australian Women's Register

Dame Mary talks about her childhood and upbringing as well as life in Perth at the time. She described her rapport with Aboriginal people and her continuing affection for her Aboriginal ‘sisters’. Various aspects of her literary career are covered including her work for radio, newspapers and magazines as well as the writing of the musical “Ship of Dreams” and the “Swan River Saga”. Dame Mary discussed her writing during the time she was bringing up her six children, referring to time split between houses in Perth and Broome as well as school holidays spent writing at the coastal house of her friend Professor Ida Mann. This interview also includes one hour in which Dame Mary is joined by fellow author Nancy Keesing and this provides some reflections on Australian literary life, especially in regard to the Fellowship of Australian Writers and a workshop for Aboriginal writers which was held in Darwin in 1974.