I woke before dawn thinking of Wagin

Author Identifier

Donna J Mazza: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1135-5187

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Ourselves: 100 micro memoirs

Publisher

Night Parrot Press

School

School of Arts and Humanities

RAS ID

72374

Comments

Mazza, D. (2024). I woke before dawn thinking of Wagin. In L. Keenan & C. Mulder (Eds.), Ourselves: 100 micro memoirs. Night Parrot Press. https://www.nightparrotpress.com/product/ourselves-100-micro-memoirs/

Abstract

This is a work of creative non-fiction which considers tensions within the landscape of the Wheatbelt in Western Australia. This large area was ruthlessly cleared in the early 20th Century, and within two generations almost all native vegetation was removed from ‘an area the size of Scotland’ (Hughes-d’Aeth, 2007). The impact of subsequent salinity has mean large scale desertion of towns and desertification of farmland. The work considers the contrasts inherent between the cultural landmarks and the realities of this impact on the environment and towns, making note of the ironies and tensions between fertile lands and decimation of the natural world.

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