The decade of the 1970s was a time when Australia discarded some of the last vestiges of its own cultural naivety.
The coming of progressive government through Gough Whitlam, oil shocks, the dismissal, Vietnam, and a growing concern for the nation’s huge but fragile environment were just some of the hallmarks of that decade.
Alan Fox Rogers’ first novel, Wanderer, reflects these tumultuous times vicariously through the eyes of his hero Max, an affable and even more naïve boy-man who arrives with his family as his parents’ sole offspring in the still-country town of Brisbane, fresh from a middle-class English upbringing with his senior school years still ahead of him.
Max’s journey lives up to his surname as he firstly finds his feet in Queensland’s then-corrupt capital during the infamous Joh era, latterly escaping the clutches of the equally corrupt local cops and marking out a pathway of discovery across the state and into the Territory and Top End.
His growing capability with a camera germinates a budding career, while he meets and shares experiences with a diversity of characters on his part- hitchhiking and much-walking journey, from long-distance truckies to environmentalists to First Australians imparting their ancient wisdoms.
Max’s sense of being an outsider ensures a non-judgmental openness to all his experiences – perhaps reflective of the author’s own youth.
The narrative lulls the reader into a steady sense of Boys’ Own adventure punctuated with dark humour – until suddenly tragedy strikes in the most unexpected ways and moments.
The sense of instant camaraderie on the road as Max encounters these characters is charming – but is it realistic today? Perhaps. Or is it nostalgia for the seemingly simpler, more innocent times of 50 years ago?
Wanderer is an easy page-turner, a classic Australian yarn, that shows an understanding and an appreciation of the history, splendour and complexity of this vast land. It should be required reading for any city slicker choosing to venture out there.
Fox Rogers is a well-known local figure, most recently employed as director of community services for Noosa Council.
Author, wildlife photographer and former mayor Tony Wellington will launch Wanderer at a morning tea at Noosa Library, Noosaville, on Saturday, August 27, where Tony and Fox will hold a wide-ranging conversation on themes from the book via video link.
Copies of Wanderer can be purchased at Annie’s Books on Peregian, or online at alanfoxrogers.com
