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  1. Books
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  3. Contemporary fiction

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The Matilda Saga

A Waltz for Matilda (The Matilda Saga, #1)

The story behind Banjo Paterson's iconic Australian song.

'Once a jolly swagman camped by a Billabong

Under the shade of a Coolibah tree

And he sang as he watched and waited till his Billy boiled

You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me...'

In 1894, twelve-year-old Matilda flees the city slums to find her unknown father and his farm. But drought grips the land, and the shearers are on strike. Her father has turned swaggie and he's wanted by the troopers. In front of his terrified daughter, he makes a stand against them, defiant to the last. 'You'll never catch me alive, said he...'

Set against a backdrop of bushfire, flood, war and jubilation, this is the story of one girl's journey towards independence. It is also the story of others who had no vote and very little but their dreams.

Drawing on the well-known poem by A.B. Paterson and from events rooted in actual history, this is the untold story behind Australia's early years as an emerging nation.

PRAISE

'Jackie French has a passion for history, and an enviable ability to weave the fascinating minutiae of everyday life into a good story.' -- Magpies Magazine


Author:

  • Jackie French

Narrator:

  • Edwina Wren

Series:

  • Volume 1 in The Matilda Saga

Format:

  • Audiobook

Duration:

  • 13 h 29 min

Language:

English

Categories:

  • Fiction
  • Contemporary fiction
  • Historic and folklore novels
  • Historic novels
  • Fiction
  • War novels
  • History
  • Australia and New Zealand
  • Natural sciences
  • Technology

More by Jackie French

Skip the list
  1. The Sea Captain's Wife

    Jackie French

    audiobook
  2. No Hearts of Gold

    Jackie French

    audiobook
  3. The Girl from Snowy River (The Matilda Saga, #2)

    Jackie French

    audiobook
  4. HarperCollins Children’s Books Presents: Stories for Summer Holidays for age 2+ : An hour of fun to listen to on planes, trains and cars

    Oliver Jeffers, Judith Kerr, Emma Chichester Clark, David Mackintosh, Jez Alborough, Rob Scotton, Simon Puttock, Rachel Bright, Jackie French

    audiobook
  5. The Mushroom in the Sky

    Jackie French

    audiobook
  6. Ming and Maria Explore the Universe (The Girls Who Changed the World, #5)

    Jackie French

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  7. The Whisperer's War

    Jackie French

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  8. Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger

    Jackie French

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  9. Ming and Ada Spark the Digital Age (The Girls Who Changed the World, #4)

    Jackie French

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  10. Secret Sparrow

    Jackie French

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  11. Ming and Hilde Lead a Revolution (The Girls Who Changed the World, #3)

    Jackie French

    audiobook

The Matilda Saga Series

Skip the list
  1. The Girl from Snowy River (The Matilda Saga, #2)

    Jackie French

    audiobook
  2. The Road to Gundagai (The Matilda Saga, #3)

    Jackie French

    audiobook
  3. To Love a Sunburnt Country (The Matilda Saga, #4)

    Jackie French

    audiobook
  4. The Ghost by the Billabong (The Matilda Saga, #5)

    Jackie French

    audiobook
  5. If Blood Should Stain the Wattle (The Matilda Saga, #6)

    Jackie French

    audiobook
  6. Facing the Flame (The Matilda Saga, #7)

    Jackie French

    audiobook
  7. The Last Dingo Summer (The Matilda Saga, #8)

    Jackie French

    audiobook

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  • 29 books

    Jackie French

    Jackie French was born in Sydney in 1953, grew up in Brisbane, graduated from the University of Queensland and moved to her present home in NSW bush land in her mid twenties. Over the past 10 years she has published over a hundred books on diverse subjects ranging from children’s fiction to pest control!

    Read more

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