No Town Like Alice

by Maisie McKenzie

Rigby, 1979, [First Edition], ISBN 0727011103, black and white photographic plates, hardcover, dustjacket

Very Good Condition, some edge and shelf wear, some rubbing and bumping to edges and corners, dustjacket shows a little edge and shelf wear with a little rubbing, bumping, chipping and small tears to edges, corners and covers (see photographs)

“”You’re crazy!” was the usual reaction when Maisie McKenzie and her husband Doug told friends that they were going to work in Alice Springs.  Doug a United Church minister, and the move seemed a backward step.
But their years in Alice Springs gave them an amazing variety of experience, from desert treks to the night when Maisie had to break up a rape with her bare feet.
Doug McKenzie’s responsibilities would have daunted many people.  He had to cover a gigantic parish populated by people as diverse as tribal Aborigines and city drunks.  As patrol padre for the Australian inland Mission, chaplain to the AIM Old Timers’ Homes, and minister to the town, he encountered and endless variety of new experiences.  Maisie shared in many of these, especially since their door was always open and they never knew who would next drift in off the street.
Their work took them to places unknown to most Australians.  Such places as Finke, where sixty Pitjantjatjara battle to retain their identity; and Rabbit Flat on the lonely Tanami Track, where Bruce and Jacquie Farrands serve amazing French meals to their rare visitors; and the eerie Deiny Station, former home of the tragic Alex and Lottie Kerr.
they met such colourful or talented characters as Alky Bill, Sneaky Sam, English Richard, Olive Pink, and Ewald Namatjira.  They spoke to many of the old bushmen and women who linked the past and present, and worked hard to bridge the gap between white and black.”