Cirrus@Austlit

'Despite his name, the Murrumbidgee whaler had nothing to do with whales, and never used a harpoon in his life. He was a member of an amphibious race of wanderers, who roamed Australia's inland waterways from 1880 until the advent of the petrol-driven vehicle ended river traffic and made their way of life no longer possible. Cheerful, work-shy, restless and shiftless, the 'whaler' was yet a picturesque figure who, if he did no good for himself, at least did no harm to anyone else. In this amusing article, an old-timer conjures up recollections of a youth spent in that leisured past among people for whom time did not exist.' (p. 9)