The Story of Legendary Gold Prospector William James O'Leary
Ian Dougherty
Arawata Bill (1865–1947) was a pioneering New Zealand folk hero. He spent decades in the unforgiving mountain country of North-west Otago and South Westland, prospecting for gold and other minerals and making new tracks in unexplored areas. His astonishing feats of endurance and tenacity, coupled with his charming eccentricity, have captured the imagination of generations of New Zealanders, and Denis Glover immortalised him in his famous poem, ‘Arawata Bill’. This new edition of Ian Dougherty’s landmark biography includes information about O’Leary’s life that has only recently come to light.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ian Dougherty is a Dunedin-based author and journalist. His previous books for Exisle are Heart of Gold, on contemporary Otago, and Southern Sting, on the champion netball team.
Reviews
‘If you like the mystery of hidden gold and stories of a pioneering hero, set amidst the awe-inspiring grandeur of South Westland, you’ll like this book. The cost won’t damage your pocket too much and it’ll do your heart good.’ New Zealand Wilderness
‘New Zealand is the richer for the lives of the likes of Arawata Bill. Its folklore is the richer for the likes of this book, its story so well told and so attractively illustrated.’ Christchurch Press SPECIFICATIONS Size: 210 x 148 mm Format: Paperback
Extent: 196 pages
Numerous historic photographs and maps
Weight: 400 gms
New edition: October 2005
ISBN: 978-0-908988-15-0
The Team that Inspired a Region
It was one of the teams deemed least likely to succeed in the glitzy new netball franchise competition launched in 1998, but it succeeded way beyond anyone’s expectations. In the process, the Southern Sting captured the hearts and lifted the spirits of a region that had suffered decades of having the stuffing knocked out of it.