More Naughty Norman, then tales from Granny McRae, the All-night Fiddler

SEASON 1, EPISODE 6

There are two distinct parts to this episode: first, more revelations about an early aviation legend. Then, we visit Ada (Sis) Mcrae, born 1889, who recalls the hardships and joys of life in a small Outback town.

SIR NORMAN BREALEY really made the dust fly with his biplane-era airline in Western Australia, but the maverick way he ran his business also raised the ire of our early aviation authorities.

In this final instalment on Sir Norman, we hear of more of his brazen business antics.

SIS McRAE in Hawker, South Australia, was the big-bodied, big-hearted grandmother of Australian Country Music legends Peter Coad and the Coad Sisters.

In this 1967 interview with Sis, she shared with me some of her swag-full of yarns about small-town life over a century ago.  And through the Coads’ song, ’Sing Me That Old Song, Granny’, we hear the ancient violin Sis would play all night at country dances in the Flinders Ranges.