In 1928 two young intrepid women, Jean Robertson and Kathleen Howell, broke through gender stereotypes and set out to the break the land speed record for driving between Perth and Adelaide. They succeeded in driving the 2824kms in two days, nine hours and 57 minutes breaking the previous record set some months earlier, by celebrated driver Norman ‘Wizard’ Smith, by five hours.
The 1920s were an exciting period. Australia, indeed the world, was rebuilding from the devastation of WW1 and the world-wide Spanish flu epidemic. Referred to as the ‘Jazz Age’ it ushered in many changes in technology, arts and culture, women’s freedoms and the new suburban Australian dream. It was a new and exciting world eagerly grabbed in both hands by women like Jean and Kathleen. They had meet at school and both loved driving, Jean even became a qualified mechanic. Jean’s father gave her an Italian Lancia Lambda car, and the pair quickly became known for their skill and daring in car rallies.
Back then there were no road maps or GPS to guide them; driving across Australia meant using the overland tracks and following the East-West Telegraph line. With little or no assistance, they criss-crossed the country and developed a huge public following however many, particularly men, did not approve of their driving and they faced much discrimination.
The story is lively and exciting, the women’s determination and belief in themselves clearly reflected in the text and the catchphrase, ‘Eat my dust!’ Lucia Masciullo’s watercolour illustrations capture the colours and vastness landscape beautifully, the inky blue of the night sky is a delight and in the endpapers with their swirls of orangery dust you can hear the girls as they cry, ‘Eat My Dust!’
Jean Robertson and Kathleen Howell successfully challenged the gender stereotypes of their time and set an example to future generations of young women. This is an excellent book to encourage young people to be prepared to challenge boundaries and constraints and achieve their dreams.
Picture Books for Older Readers
