David Tindall
Ship name / Flight number: Fairsky
Arrival date: 13/08/1963
David has published his book “A Ten Quid Tourist”. If you want to purchase a copy, please email us legacy@bbm.asn.au and we will contact David.
A Ten Quid Tourist was written by Dave Tindall, a little brother who arrived in Australia on the Fairsky in 1963. He has written this book about the two years he lived and worked in Australia before touring New Zealand and returning to the UK. Eventually he returned to Australia travelling overland from London to Darwin with his fiancé in 1967. It describes the adventures had and characters met by the then teenager who immigrated as a ward of the Australian Government in the care and supposedly watchful eye of the Big Brother Movement scheme. Boys aged from fifteen to eighteen years of age from rural backgrounds were sponsored to work in The Outback of Australia. The book begins with life in rural Britain in the 1950s, details the process of selection for immigration, describes life on board an immigration ship and the many adventures of the writer who spent two years working and travelling around every state in Australia, getting into more scrapes and having more jobs in that time than most people have had hot dinners.
REVIEWS
“Such an adventurous and funny encounter between a Pommy lad, and 1960’s Aussies from Darwin to Launceston! This is how life should be, adventurous, tough, self-reliant, exciting, funny!””
Carlie Guilfoyle, Solicitor, Queensland
“Thoroughly enjoyed this read from a bloke who writes like he talks, all great tales. So pleased he put pen to paper”. John Herron, Grazier, Queensland
“The story resonates with youthful camaraderie, resourcefulness and humour a forerunner with camera of the modern itinerate backpacker. A multi-faceted traveller’s yarn that is well worth reading.” Lyn Anderson, Queensland.
The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, UK, purchased a copy of the book for their research department on the recommendation of Stephen Tansey, university lecturer (retired).”This is a document of contemporary social history,” advised Mr Tansey.