Prologue

In the opening scene, McGahan’s description of a cloud resembling a nuclear explosion sets the scene for a dramatic shift in the lives of the characters. A black cloud is witnessed by eight year old William, who sits alone on the back verandah and ‘said nothing, for there was no one to tell’ establishing early the isolation that the young boy will experience throughout the novel. His mother is often sick and mostly absent, and his father has just been engulfed in flames, the source of the black cloud, from a tractor fire that spread to the dry wheat. Others arrive and it is revealed to William and his mother that William’s father has died. The community rallies around them with offers of food and evidence of their battle with the fatal fire. Appearing at this time is John McIvor, introduced to William as his Uncle John. William’s mother explains the situation to him but becomes furious when he tells her he watched the cloud from the verandah and didn’t say anything. She smacks him on the ear, an injury that will symbolically plague William until the end of the novel; a sign that this moment of change will impact William in a way that no one will fully realise. For just as the injury is ignored, William’s own wellbeing will also be secondary to the competing interests of those around him. Also emblematic of how his mother will negatively impact William’s life is her inability to deal with daily life, which will send William reeling throughout the text.

Prologue Quotes

William said nothing, for there was no one to tell … Epilogue

Men grimed with ash and smoke, women busy making tea, or passing out iced water and solemn glasses of beer. Epilogue

Her arm lifted and she slapped him, her hand catching his right ear in a painful, piercing smack. (William’s mother smacking him) Epilogue

Chapter 1

William is informed he will be moving in with his Uncle John. His mother tells William that John is not obliged to help but is helping out. The warning to William is that he will need to behave. This is a lot of responsibility and pressure for the young boy as his mother, who is not up to providing, transfers her responsibility to provide for William to William’s ability to please his uncle. They clear out the old farm that is claimed by the bank and prepare to move to Kuran House. William experiences the first of several visions, an orange light mysteriously moving through the night. This light is like an ember from both the fire that destroyed his home and father and the fire that is yet to come.

Chapter 1 Quotes

’.. he’s not obliged to me and you at all… So when we get there, I want you to behave yourself.’ (William’s mother to William about Uncle John) Chapter 1

She didn’t work and never had – it was accepted that her health was not up to it. (About William’s mother) Chapter 1

He knew that at least part of her behaviour was explained by the simple fact that life was more difficult for them than for other families. (William about his mother) Chapter 1

The light was orange, not white like the farm houses across the plain. It quivered oddly. And it seemed to be moving. He watched it without real curiosity for some time. Then it flickered and blinked out, and everything up there was night again. (William’s first vision) Chapter 1

Chapter 2

William moves to the new property. The weight of responsibility doesn’t escape him as he realises he will never sit in the backseat again, a sign that his innocence and childhood has ended. William and his mother arrive at Kuran House and William is immediately impressed by its size. It is only on closer inspection that he notices the house is in disrepair. Symbolic of his uncle and the pastoral lifestyle, the façade of wealth is only thinly hiding the rot of history and trouble. William’s mother ensures him it will be nicer inside, but it is not. ‘Nothing moves and no one came’; they are all alone isolation. William meets Mrs Griffith, the house keeper, who is wary and suspecting of William. She talks about the house and questions William about what he thinks, admitting it needs care but suggesting that it has been there 130 years and will keep standing. This historical reference is symbolic of her belief that the establishment of the pastoral leaseholders, under threat from the new Mabo land title, will not be moved.

Chapter 2 Quotes

He forgot to look one last time at his little cottage. Then the thought came to him that he hadn’t sat in the back seat of the car since his father died, and never would now. (William leaving his farm) Chapter 2

But then he was really looking, and the truth sank in. (William notices the state of Kuran House) Chapter 2

His new home frowned at him. (William’s first time at Kuran House) Chapter 2

‘But don’t be fooled,’ she went on. ‘It’s been here for one hundred and thirty years, and it’s not falling down any time soon. (Mrs Griffith about Kuran House) Chapter 2

Chapter 3

In the first of many time changes throughout the novel, a backstory of John McIvor’s childhood is delivered. John’s father, Daniel, is working for the White family at a pastoral lease called Kuran Station. Before the White family took over the property, the Heatherington family were the proprietors and were collectively known as the ‘pure merinos’, a term for sheep farmers living on stations that they had used to gain wealth and political influence.
Although the government took over much of the freehold land and many properties shrunk in size, Kuran survived and under Edward White, a strong owner, and Daniel McIvor, a tough station master, the property thrived. Daniel was known to burn fences and sheds to scare off newcomers to the region and was generally known as a hard man.

When Elizabeth White is born to Malcolm, ‘the useless son’ because of his love of drinking and partying, John’s father Daniel hatches a plan and convinces Edward that John and Elizabeth could marry and continue on the legacy of the farm. The plan is ambitious and consumes Daniel and, later, John. John is young and is told never to enter the house. When he believes no one is there, he enters the house and enters Elizabeth’s room. She harshly admonishes him, and the mutual plan as set out by Daniel McIvor seems unlikely. The gulf in class has been identified; a gulf that John will strive his whole life to bridge.

Chapter 3 Quotes

How had she done that, frightened him so, when he was not afraid of anything? And how was it possible that they would be together one day when he couldn’t even speak in her presence? (John enters Elizabeth’s room) Chapter 3

Chapter 4

As the narrative returns to the main timeline in William’s life, he is waiting for his uncle who is mysteriously locked in his office and has not appeared to receive them fully yet. His mother still has a migraine. William sees inside the house, that it too is rotten, cold and derelict; the state of the house symbolic of the rotting inside the old establishment. Also reflective of William’s life, there exists no warmth. William is limited to only certain areas of house, and becomes isolated, his needs as a young boy neglected.

The new arrivals, William and his mother, share dinner with a staunch Mrs Griffith who doesn’t make them welcome and resents the intrusion. She is keen to keep living in the house and sees the intruders as threatening the status quo. She reluctantly serving the uncle and keen to ensure William’s mother doesn’t take over the caring duties, making her redundant. The uncle remains elusive but William is reminded that ‘it is up to him if they can stay and he must be pleased’.

Chapter 4 Quotes

If he’d had a friend to explore with him, perhaps, or if he had been visiting for a weekend. But he was alone, and this was no visit, so the act of discovery seemed hollow. (William in Kuran House) Chapter 4

Each night the housekeeper served out four meals. She would place the fourth on a tray, and then, with much muttering, shuffle off laboriously towards the office to deliver it. Upon her return she would sit, dour and silent, at one end of the table. She dined as if she was still living alone, gazing ahead fixedly. (Mrs Griffith at dinner) Chapter 4

To William it was plain that the housekeeper considered them unwelcome guests. Maybe she even hated them. (About Mrs Griffith) Chapter 4

His uncle – the greatest mystery of all. The old man’s presence hung over everything, but he remained hidden, heeded and obeyed but never seen. (John McIvor when William first moves to Kuran House) Chapter 4

Chapter 5

William is finally summoned to see his uncle and receives another stern warning from his mother about how important it is to make a favourable impression. The weight of this responsibility is not lost on William. However, upon entering the office, it was not the uncle that was waiting but the doctor. After a short examination, William tells him about his ear but is largely ignored. He is not taken seriously and the doctor simply tells William’s mother to keep an eye on it. As the novel progresses she fails to do so, and this is an ongoing sign of her neglect; her own interests take precedence at the meeting, as she presses the doctor for medication for herself to ‘cope’.

William is given a sick note for glandular fever to miss school in order to start spending time with his uncle and learn about the property. At this time with the doctor, William first hears mention of John’s ‘organisation’ as Dr Moffat is a member of the seemingly secret group. William overhears there may be as many as three or four hundred members. This news is delivered in a room adorned with old pictures of foxhunts, adding to the aristocratic feel of the uncle’s position.

Chapter 5 Quotes

Fire is a horrible thing. (Dr Moffat) Chapter 5

Black men, looking on from the shadows, their expressions impossible to read. Hostile? Fearful? (Picture in John McIvor’s office) Chapter 5

Dr Moffat glanced happily at William. ‘Glandular fever. That’s what you’ve got, that’s what I’ll tell your uncle.’
‘If anyone else asks,’ his mother added, ‘you’re too sick for school.’ (Dr Moffat and William’s mother concoct the lie) chapter 5

Chapter 6

The text returns to a previous time and recounts John McIvor’s life in his teens. John comes to the baffling realisation that the work men and locals don’t like his father. We learn that the father is a police officer and has a special pistol as a keepsake. One that William will discover later. Edward White’s place in parliament is under threat, his grey hair symbolic of an ageing establishment, the parliament and the reporters calling him the last of the pure merinos. He is losing his control and his son Malcolm offers little hope in continuing the legacy. Daniel McIvor has been whispering in Edward’s ear for years about John and his granddaughter Elizabeth, a subtle long term ploy to elevate his family through the pair’s marriage. Edward is finally coming around to the idea and agrees.

John takes up work at 14 and immediately strives to do well. He desires Elizabeth for her beauty and the thought of the station; achieving his father’s plan drives him. Then Edward dies and, while many see this as the last of the old guard, Daniel and others fight on, asking Malcolm to keep fighting the pastoral cause. Malcolm bends under the pressure, loses the election after developing a drinking problem then retreats to Brisbane, dying of the drink soon after. Unlike his father’s memorial, the funeral is not well attended. Elizabeth and her mother return to Brisbane but return to the station sometime later to announce she is selling the station and firing Daniel. Daniel’s life work and singular desire, gone in an instant.

Chapter 6 Quotes

When John McIvor reached his teens, there was something disturbing he came to understand – many people did not like his father. The sentiment was unspoken but ever present, not amongst the station staff, who would never have dared, but amongst people outside Daniel’s sphere of influence. Chapter 6

The newspapers called him ‘The Last of the Pure Merinos’, and it was not a complimentary title. (About Edward White) Chapter 6

… meetings had taken place between Edward’s allies in parliament, his political staff and, of course, Daniel McIvor. Unlike the other mourners, none of them considered the death of the old man to mark an end, although it was certainly an inconvenience. However, the pastoral cause had to go on. Chapter 6

For Malcolm it was the last and greatest in a long line of humiliations. He left the station in Daniel’s hands and escaped to Brisbane with his wife. There he drank ruinously for a month and died … Chapter 6

And something broke in the station manager. The girl had fired him. It was her right to do so. It was inconceivable that she would have the nerve to do so. But she had. All the strength in him drained away, useless. And even through his shock, John understood that he was witnessing something acutely personal. Elizabeth hated his father. (Elizabeth fires Daniel) Chapter 6

Chapter 7

The story returns to William’s life where he is roused in the middle of the night by his uncle and led outside. They watch the green fire streaks that are, in fact, shooting stars. William is questioned about what he has seen. He suggests that he hasn’t seen anything yet, a sign of his lingering innocence. The gothic elements of McGahan’s text are present here; a strange midnight arousal, mystery as they move past the ruined pool and house, the enigmatic uncle and the signs in the sky.

William is asked questions about things that he has seen in his life outside of the farm. The discussion turns to a mystical creature called a bunyip. This will sit in William’s memory and manifest in his desperate hours to come. The uncle confers that Mrs Griffith has been at the house for a long time and dislikes intruders, but William is encouraged to still explore only being warned not to go upstairs. William is told he is no use to his uncle if he simply hides away in the house. The idea of being of ‘used’ is significant as William is used as a pawn.

Chapter 7 Quotes

William didn’t know what to say. What had he seen? He thought back to his life on his parents’ farm … but there had only been small things. (William questioned by his uncle) Chapter 7

‘Don’t waste what time you have here, Will. You’re no use to me if you just hide away in the house.’ (William encouraged by his uncle) Chapter 7

Chapter 8

William starts the day wondering if the previous night was a dream; the blurring of his reality and dreams has commenced. William decides to explore and his mother remains unaware of his activities, settled in at the home, placated by the doctor’s drugs. Her lack of awareness of William is unstated but ever-present as he walks alone across the property. In his exploration he finds a church and cemetery, a symbol of the death that lingers at Kuran Station. The church has signs that teenagers have been drinking there and is also a sign of changing times and values. The once prosperous station that was so developed it contained its own chapel is now derelict. William questions the value of a decaying property, questioning his part in a world that is fighting to keep a property. Further to this confusion he becomes physically lost for a brief moment but finds his way home; this short confusion an outward example of his inner journey.

Chapter 8 Quotes

She wouldn’t even notice he was gone. At least she seemed less irritable, ever since the doctor’s visit. (William’s mother) Chapter 8

Would everything on his uncle’s property be the same, defaced and decayed and torn apart by the slow creep of branches and roots? If so, then what was the point of exploring any of it? Chapter 8

He hated Kuran Station, every inch of it. (William) Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Returning to the earlier life of John McIvor, the story outlines how after John and his father were banished John felt like a part of him had been removed. It was a painful parting. John’s hope lay in his father Daniel but Daniel did not want to keep going, instead purchasing a pub, even though he knew nothing of the publican game, which began his decline. This failure is typical of how children in this novel look to their fathers or parents but are severely let down, a characteristic that John will repeat. This is also seen in how William looks to his mother, who is lost in pain and drugs, and Elizabeth who looks to her father for support but who instead pressured her to marry John.

Daniel’s bar is a failure and people stay away from him as they don’t like him. The locals seem to be enjoying his downfall; John notices in the faces of others that there is more to it than Daniel’s power as a manager that has dislocated him from the hearts of the town.

John sets out on his own but returns after a year, his father a drunken mess and having lost all their money. Kuran House has gone broke and the property is empty, and almost mocks John who felt it should be his. He is driven to one day own the property, partly out of revenge toward Elizabeth. John becomes a logger after a local logging team lose a man.

Chapter 9 Quotes

One moment he had been whole and young and full of hope. The next, a limb had been lopped away and the blood was draining out, leaving him cold and pinched. Elizabeth White had wielded an axe upon his life. Chapter 9

John’s only hope lay in his father. Kuran Station might be lost to them forever, but Daniel had savings, so why shouldn’t they buy some land of their own somewhere else? Chapter 9

John could think of nowhere else to turn. His mother had always been a silent stranger to him. Chapter 9

He could almost feel the great homestead calling out to him, giant and deserted. The thought of it burned. The house should have been his. It should be his, even now. Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Returning to the primary narrative time, the novel describes the time when William and John drive around the property. John points out the features and surveys the land. He is insinuating that all this could be his, like a monarch showing a kingdom to a prince. John explains the characteristics of the land from a geological perspective as well as the historical, mentioning Allan Cunningham, the first explorer. John is proud of his land and explains he would never let tourists just wander about; he would guard the land from intruders.

They see their part in a grander scheme. The old station is much larger and covers the hills they survey and the shrunken property. They see the surrounding landscape which reflects how vast the region is compared to their property and a glimpse of a larger picture is unfolding, an awareness of something larger than just themselves or their point of view.

Chapter 10 Quotes

A shrug. ‘Just goes to show, doesn’t it? There’s better things to leave behind than headstones.’ (John McIvor) Chapter 10

‘I’ll tell you this – when my time comes, I’m going on the bonfire.’ (John McIvor) Chapter 10

‘The mountains don’t matter to us,’ his uncle said. ‘They’re the old Kuran Station, and we’ll never get that back. Now there’s only twenty-odd square miles left, and that’s what concerns you and me.’ (John McIvor to William) Chapter 10

Glancing at the old man’s face, William saw a warmth there he wouldn’t have thought existed. It wasn’t direct at him, it was directed outwards, to the hills. (William with his uncle) Chapter 10