Bill Aplin Bill Aplin i(A132306 works by)
Gender: Male
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1 A Well Marked Road Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story humour
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 17) After celebrating a successful day at the race track rather too enthusiastically, two bookmakers decide to drive home along what they consider a well-made road. However, despite driving for hours, they seem to be getting no closer to home.
1 Huntin', Shootin' and Fishin' Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 78) Aplin describes the wry humour of a group of pioneers and Aborigines who found the unsuccessful hunting prowess of one of their group a worthy subject.
1 An Early Labour Problem Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story humour
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 77) A man insists that he will not offer a fencing contractor another job unless he stops bringing his children to assist with the work and sends them to school instead. However, there is a complication for the fencing contractor in fulfilling the condition.
1 Measuring Fish Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 76) When a group of fishing tourists decide to have a beer at a local pub, the locals decide to have a bit of fun with fishing stories.
1 Mates Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 74-75) When the postmaster decides to have a bit of fun by intervening in the wording of a telegram between two mates, the result is not as funny as he anticipated.
1 A First Lesson in Commission and Percentages Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story humour
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 72-73) A kangaroo shooter is confused in his efforts to understand commissions deducted as a percentage of payment for his skins. In asking a barmaid for help to understand the process, misinterpretation results in a bemusing answer.
1 The Bull Stag Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 70-71) Aplin describes how, in the early days of settlement of the Mount Isa area, bushmen would entertain each other by singing and reciting bush ballads.
1 I Used To Be a Christian Once Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story humour
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 69) The public bar of a country hotel bears witness to some humorous interchanges between locals, and the occasional person passing through on business.
1 An Unusual Raffle Prize Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 68) Aplin tells of two young men who travelled from the Northern Territory into Queensland in order to enlist for World War I. They enjoyed a few adventurous days before heading off and though one later returned, the other was killed in France.
1 Home Made Bread Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story humour
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 66-7) In the early days of European settlement, the isolation of north west Queensland meant that supplies were not regularly available, so housewives had to bake their own bread, and create their own raising agents to do so. However, the imprecision of these methods often led to unpredictable results.
1 Min Min Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 64-65) The now derelict Min Min hotel is listed by the Boulia Shire Council as an Historic Site, for it has an interesting past as a Cobb & Co. change house. However, it is also famous for the strange and inexplicable 'Min Min' lights that occur there.
1 Boomerangs, Duds, Kites and Shinplasters Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 63) 'In the early days of the outback,' says Aplin, 'there was very little coin of the realm', and he describes some of the unusual accounting and trade practises that abounded.
1 A Quiet Row Across a Western River Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 58-62) Aplin tells a story of a heavily pregnant woman living on an isolated property who had to endure a precarious journey being rowed through floodwaters to hospital. He reflects upon the lack of services in, and general neglect by politicians of, northern Australia.
1 Alby Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story humour
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 55-57) Though he hadn't any real education, old Alby had managed to survive by his wits, right into old age. However, he had sometimes pushed his luck a little too far and suffered the consequences.
1 The Arrangement That Was Delayed Too Long Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story humour
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 54) A story of how distance and isolation can sometimes lead to official sanctions and ceremonies being postponed - or forgotten entirely.
1 More Great Bush Churchmen : 3 : By Example and Faith Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story humour
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 53-54) Aplin recounts the humorous manner in which an Anglican priest, Rev. Archie Briggs, related to people, as well as his fame for erecting a huge cross on a Mount Isa hill.
1 More Great Bush Churchmen : 2 : Gates Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 53) As the Rev. Canon Hurt, Principal of a Charters Towers' boarding school, travels the north and west to speak to parents, he encounters an intoxicated stockman in Camooweal to whom he offers a ride back to his station. The Rev devises a novel way of obliging the stockman to abstain from any more drinking along the drive.
1 More Great Bush Churchmen : 1 : Language Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 52) Rev. Flynn and another young parson were camped by a bore with a drover for company. Their delicate attempts to curtail the drover's offensive language inflame it instead.
1 A Great Northern Churchman Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story humour
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 49-52) Describes the kindly and humble nature of the former Anglican Bishop of North Queensland, and his encounters with people in his travels around the district.
1 The Gospel in the Outback Bill Aplin , 1980 single work short story
— Appears in: Out in the Great North West 1980; (p. 48-49) An anecdote about how the 'Fighting Parson' dealt with a belligerent shearer.
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