I haven't been able to put down this book by Bill Bryson. They say it takes an outsider to get underneath the skin of a country and see what really makes it tick, and I think that's a fair comment in this situation. He's had a number of visits to Australia and the visit which sparked this book took him to odd and remote corners of the country.
As someone who didn't suffer from being brought up here, he can look at our myths with a different eye. We all know that Charles Kingsford-Smith was a pioneer in aviation but Bryson makes a case for regarding Kingsford-Smith as the greatest aviator of all time, far surpassing even Lindbergh whom Americans adore, even though he was an avowed Nazi.
Bryson tells the story of John McDouall Stuart, a famous explorer who is credited with making the first overland trek by a European through the centre of Australia from south to north. However, when his expedition was somewhere in the region of Alice Springs, they came across a band of Aboriginals. Making contact, Stuart was amazed that one of the older native men made an obvious 'Masonic gesture' in greeting. I don't what that could be; I only know of the secret Masonic handshake. Stuart must have reacted because the man repeated the gesture. Stuart returned it and the man broke into a wide grin.
Had the Master of some lodge been there before, signing up members?
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