Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Stories of the bush told by former Northern Territory police officer Fred McLeod so in trigued his six grandchildren he turned the tales into a book. The book, 'Womba,' is now selling well in Adelaide bookshops. Womba is a fictitious aboriginal stockboy, but many of Mr. McLeod's ex periences are woven round him.
Mr. McLeod was born at Port Lincoln. His father was one of the original settlers of near-by Poonindie. He worked for a time on farms, arid at 19 he went to the Boer War in the 4th Imperial Bushmen's Corps commanded by South Australian Col. James Rowell. Taken prisoner He was taken prisoner by the Boers. When he returned to Australia he joined the Northern Territory Police Force and served with the force until 1914. He was a stock agent with the SA Farmers' Co-operative Union and Elder, Smith & Co. Ltd. until his retirement five years ago. One of Mr. McLeod's most lasting memories was meeting the late Rev. John Flynn— Flynn of the Inland. He said: 'When I first met him he was in charge of Smith of Dunesk Presbyterian Mission at Beltana, SA. Laughed at idea 'He told me and other bushmen his plans for a flying doctor service for the outback. We laughed at him. 'About seven years ago I met Flynn in Brisbane and told him how glad I was I had been wrong.' Mr. McLeod thinks a lot of the aborigines. He said: 'I've tried in my book to show how important they are.  'It would be impossible to work the Northern Territory without aboriginal stockboys. 'They deserve a better deal than they're getting in many places.'