Memoirs from the Corner Country: The Story of Mary Hunt

‘Nanna was an imposing woman. She was large and dark, with strong arms and silver hair that fell to her waist … Her scars bore testament to her physical adventures…yet she remained the epitome of femininity and strength.’ - Gail Hunt, youngest daughter of Harold and Nellie Hunt

The Corner Country is the area to the extreme far north west of New South Wales, bound by the Queensland border to the north and the South Australian border to the west. These two borders, part of the great trans-continental wild dog fence, intersect at Cameron Corner.

First published in 2006, Memoirs from the Corner Country takes the reader on a journey through one of the harshest terrains in outback Australia. May Hunt, a Malyangapa woman from Milparinka, made a life for herself and her children where dust storms swirled off the Simpson Desert and gibber-covered plains shimmered in the midday heat.

May Hunt’s story traverses the depression era when mechanisation began its inward journey to the backblocks and swaggies tramped the dusty roads.

Memoirs of the Corner Country looks at the hardships of a nomadic family life, community relationships and the enduring struggle of a single mother with six children.

‘Nana was an imposing woman. She was large and dark, with silver hair that fell to her waist, and strong arms that nestled me into her bosom. Her scars bore testament to her physical adventures. A lump in her shoulder at the age of 73 from the continual rebound of a 12 gauge shotgun, and a .22 calibre bullet rested alongside her spine.