image of person or book cover 1160655098189727286.jpg
Image courtesy of publisher's website.
Issue Details: First known date: 2023... 2023 Bee Miles : Australia's Famous Bohemian Rebel, and the Untold Story behind the Legend
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

The untold story of the uncompromising and fearless woman who captivated mid-20th century Australia with her spectacular acts of defiance.

Bee Miles was a truly larger-than-life character. Famous for being outrageous in public, or, as she said, living 'recklessly', she shocked and intrigued cities and towns across Australia. But she was no ordinary wanderer.

'Born into a wealthy family, Bee moved in Sydney's literary and artistic circles in the 1920s and 1930s before she took up residence on the streets. A consummate performer and a perceptive critic, she caught the public's imagination with her spectacular acts of defiance, emerging majestically from the surf with a knife strapped to each thigh, stopping a country train in its tracks, hitchhiking across remote Australia and drawing large city crowds with her Shakespeare recitations. She was once even voted more famous than the Prime Minister. She was also repeatedly incarcerated in prisons, confined to mental hospitals and treated brutally by a succession of authority figures, starting with her father.

'Bee constantly defied conventional expectations of female behaviour. The public found her captivating and fragments of her story have been told again and again in many forms. Until now, no-one has uncovered the real story behind the colourful legend. This first full biography offers a fascinating glimpse into a dark side of Australia's history.' (Publication summary)   

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Crows Nest, North Sydney - Lane Cove area, Sydney Northern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,: Allen and Unwin , 2023 .
      image of person or book cover 1160655098189727286.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 336p.
      Note/s:
      •  Published 29 August 2023

      ISBN: 9781761069130

Other Formats

  • Large print.
  • Braille.

Works about this Work

Rose Ellis on Bee Miles Barbara Henery , 2024 single work column
— Appears in: Jessie Street National Women's Library Newsletter , May vol. 35 no. 2 2024;
Book Review: Bee Miles, Rose Ellis Erin Stewart , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: ArtsHub , November 2023;

— Review of Bee Miles : Australia's Famous Bohemian Rebel, and the Untold Story behind the Legend Rose Ellis , 2023 single work biography
Bee Miles : Non-Fiction Review. Stacey O’Carroll , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: Other Terrain , October no. 12 2023;

— Review of Bee Miles : Australia's Famous Bohemian Rebel, and the Untold Story behind the Legend Rose Ellis , 2023 single work biography
Living Toughly Anne-Marie Conde , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: Inside Story , August 2023;

— Review of Bee Miles : Australia's Famous Bohemian Rebel, and the Untold Story behind the Legend Rose Ellis , 2023 single work biography

'Sydney’s best-known bohemian lived entirely by her own rules'

A Life Lived on the Edge Sue Williams , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 26-27 August 2023; (p. 13)

— Review of Bee Miles : Australia's Famous Bohemian Rebel, and the Untold Story behind the Legend Rose Ellis , 2023 single work biography
A Life Lived on the Edge Sue Williams , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 26-27 August 2023; (p. 13)

— Review of Bee Miles : Australia's Famous Bohemian Rebel, and the Untold Story behind the Legend Rose Ellis , 2023 single work biography
Living Toughly Anne-Marie Conde , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: Inside Story , August 2023;

— Review of Bee Miles : Australia's Famous Bohemian Rebel, and the Untold Story behind the Legend Rose Ellis , 2023 single work biography

'Sydney’s best-known bohemian lived entirely by her own rules'

Bee Miles : Non-Fiction Review. Stacey O’Carroll , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: Other Terrain , October no. 12 2023;

— Review of Bee Miles : Australia's Famous Bohemian Rebel, and the Untold Story behind the Legend Rose Ellis , 2023 single work biography
Book Review: Bee Miles, Rose Ellis Erin Stewart , 2023 single work review
— Appears in: ArtsHub , November 2023;

— Review of Bee Miles : Australia's Famous Bohemian Rebel, and the Untold Story behind the Legend Rose Ellis , 2023 single work biography
Rose Ellis on Bee Miles Barbara Henery , 2024 single work column
— Appears in: Jessie Street National Women's Library Newsletter , May vol. 35 no. 2 2024;
Last amended 15 Sep 2023 08:21:53
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