By Gary Keady As a young woman, Ruth’s mother Dorothy vowed, “If he’s the last man on earth and dripping in diamonds I’ll never marry a farmer”. In fact, the fashion-conscious, young city dweller married a tractor mechanic but after three boys in five years her husband did become a farmer. Ruth was born thirteen years later in 1942 in the country town of Denmark, on the south coast of Western Australia. Being a farmer’s daughter, and her father instilling the love of country into her heart, she grew up with a respect for the natural environment and the beauty of rural surrounds and, as an only daughter, a degree of independence.
After her second day at school, Ruth told her mother she wanted to be a teacher. Over the years her father often tried to discourage her by saying, “All the years of study and education will only be wasted because you’ll get married and have kids.” Much to his chagrin she became a teacher and although she loved reading books, English grammar was never a favourite subject. Eventually her teaching career developed as a home-based business, teaching English as a second language to international students.
Her family actually had the greatest influence on Ruth for developing the desire to write. Her mother, Dorothy, a loving wife, in an uncomfortable environment was a wonderful supporter and role model. She had had so much to contend with in a male dominated world, experiencing the catastrophes that resulted from two world wars, an economic depression, and cultural chauvinism but Dorothy’s experience and fortitude resonated throughout her daughter’s younger life. This gave Ruth a spirit of positivity which inspired her to find an inner strength to convince her that determination and belief in oneself could override many of the issues we must face in life.
Ruth’s paternal grandparents were Swedish immigrants and arrived in Western Australia in 1900. Her grandmother passed away when Ruth was two years old but her mother, and other family members often told wonderful tales about the spirited and courageous woman. Eventually, as those family members passed away Ruth came to the realisation that she was the only one in the family in possession of the stories. Alida, it seemed, had been a strong, ‘gutsy’ lady, someone whose story should not go untold. So, Ruth set about writing Alida’s story in 2010, followed by Dorothy’s story, all with a blend of social events, history and politics. When “Alida’s Story” was completed Ruth then wrote her mother’s story and her own. The resulting trilogy, “Hard Women” encompasses the life patterns of women over three generations, and is an understanding of the times, including the difficult and unreasonable situations faced by women over the past century. “Hard Women” is to be published shortly.
The business that Ruth and her husband, Don had established in the Victorian Alps town of Mount Beauty, kept them busy for 27 years until it had to close in 2020 because of the Covid Pandemic. They then decided to move closer to family, most of whom live in the Southeast region of NSW. Ruth and Don had been writing for several years and considering the impact of losing the business and their familiar surrounds in the mountains, they both decided to concentrate on writing. When they settled in Bateman’s Bay, Ruth then decided to write fiction. The first step was to become involved with a group of similar thinking people and by chance she was introduced to the Eurobodalla Writer’s Group.
Ruth has just had her first book of fiction published. “Clouds and Sunshine”, the story of two daredevils with dreams of the future. From the days of settlement during the early 1900s in the mid-western New South Wales farming region, to the 1980s, there is generational discord, inheritance arguments, and jealousy, all of which ultimately create dissension between the characters, while adventurous pursuits continue in the isolated, NSW, country town of Gunnedah.
In the 1980s when Don was a leading stunt pilot in Australia, Ruth wanted to attempt wing walking with Don but it was illegal at that time. So with research and an acceptable way around the illegalities, the unfolding of the story became an exhilarating journey. Ruth explored the world of wing walking through the character's eyes and got a taste of what it was like to be up in the clouds.
Being part of the Writers’ Group for nearly two years has been very satisfying for Ruth and she admits that the knowledgeable discussions that develop around the table at both the night group and the day group have boosted her confidence, widened her mind and influenced her writing. The support of the group members has been constant and empathetic.
Ruth Pollock
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