Sharyn Munro lived for decades in a solar-powered mudbrick cabin on her remote mountain wildlife refuge in the NSW Upper Hunter Valley, the heart of her first two books, The Woman on the Mountain (Exisle 2007) and Mountain Tails (Exisle 2009).
Mother of two, grandmother of five, concern for their future drives Sharyn to use her very personal nonfiction style to reach beyond the converted. In The Woman on the Mountain, sustainability and global warming concerns mix with memoir, nature writing, and survival adventures with chainsaws or snakes. Threatened species is the theme underlying Mountain Tails, a self-illustrated collection of short pieces for animal lovers.
Her short stories have won many prizes, including The Alan Marshall Award; she wrote regularly for The Owner Builder Magazine, and her essays have been published in the Griffith Review and famous reporter.
The very different Rich Land, Wasteland — how coal is killing Australia (Pan Macmillan/Exisle 2012) arose from her empathy with the people and places of the nearby Hunter Valley being devastated from runaway opencut coalmining. The aim of this self-designated ‘commonsense activist’ was to shock Australians into action, with the truth about coal and CSG. People have compared her book to Silent Spring in its passion, its exposure of issues and the possibility it may lead to a change in the way we treat our world.
In late 2014 she moved to a different mountain, closer to family, and with new wildlife to be discovered and chronicled in her blog. After her house was flooded in 2021, she moved to the mid north coast, where once again, she is discovering different Nature and sharing it on her blog.
A few health scares have made her determined to reclaim her path in fiction writing, especially her much loved short stories, and the Peeping through my fingers collection is the first result. As she nears her 75th year, she aims to use her way with words for both storytelling and activism. Our world needs both – to understand life and to save it.
Listen to this illuminating 2016 podcast interview by Natasha Milne with Sharyn about her life, her books and her activism:
Hello Sharyn,
Reading “Rich Land, Wasteland” – and it’s like being kicked in the guts each and every page ! As a (normally) apathetic, non-activist and certainly non-Green Aussie I am moved to volunteer my thoughts on what may or may not be helpful to the campaign …
I think the slogan / catch-cry / rebel yell / whatever should be –
” COAL – TODAY’S ASBESTOS !! ”
The intent being to align coal with the hard won but now publically reviled and rejected asbestos. It took decades for the asbestos case to be proven – perhaps coal can (hopefully) forego those decades of ‘proving up’ and secure greater public support (essential if there is ever to be any significant change) by creating in the public’s mind that coal is indeed “today’s asbestos” ?
With apologies to Dorothea Mackellar I submit to following –
I love a blackened country
A land of coal heap plains
Of polluted toxic rivers
Of sooty, dust filled rains
I love her rising slag heaps
I love there are no trees
Her beauty turned to terror –
So sad my land to see
Thanks Janine. I’ll be in touch shortly.
Hi Sharyn
I have written a book review of your book ‘Rich Land, Waste Land’.
It has been published in the NSW Teachers Federation journal ‘Education’
If you email me – I will send a pdf copy of the article.
Otherwise you can read it on line at http://www.nswtf.org.au
Thank you for the terrific book you wrote.
best wishes
Janine Kitson
NSW Teachers Federation Representative to the National Parks Association of NSW
NSW Teachers Federation Representative to the Nature Conservation Council of NSW
NSW Teachers Federation Representative to the Workers Educational Association, Sydney
Thanks for your help Sharyn. I look forward to hearing from you once your tour is done. All the best. Regards Donna
Dear Sharyn
We would love to make direct contact with you as we are reading your book and going through something very similar regarding our farm in New Zealand.
What a stunning book. It is most helpful at our stage of our process even though our concerns are linked to oil and gas not coal.
Regards Janet
That’s great Ann, re your joining a group and ACTING! Will be in touch re the talk later. On tour right now.
Hi Graham,
Thanks very much for your comments. You may also like to visit the book’s website (click on its cover pic) and see the list of links for groups in your area.
Dear Sharyn, I spoke to our Probus, programme officer and he does have all of this year booked however he would love to have you speak next year and we have spots available from January. He asked for a telephone number to call you to arrange a time, if that is possible or is this the best way to get in touch? Your talk at Ashfield Library and the launch of “Rich Land Waste Land” exposed me not only to the scale of the coal problem here in Australia, it also gave me the opportunity to meet others who are wanting to make a difference, and hence I have joined a group in St. Peters. It is a Stop CSG gathering primarily however the meeting discusses a broad spectrum of state,national and global issues as we recognise the importance of getting an awareness “out there” that the impact of mining not done with safety and absolute care on the environment and it’s inhabitants, will continue to effect us all in an alarmingly damaging way, unless we take action,asap. I encourage anyone reading this to join a group and urge them to read your latest book. Thanks again Sharyn, Kind regards, Ann
Hi Sharyn,
I am almost finished your book and felt compelled to thank you for your efforts in bringing to light some balance on the mining industry. My wife and I moved from the city to a regional village and we just love our tree change and could never live back in the city. I was horrified to think that a mining company could come onto my land and do as they want AND be supported by our governments. Your book prompted me to check on our area and thankfully we appear to be spared at the moment but much of the southern downs are where we live doesn’t appear to be so lucky. I will be joining the lock the gate group pronto and trying to do my bit.
Thank you again, Graham.
Thanks for your reply Sharyn, Our Probus meets the third Monday of the month so in November it would be Monday the 19th. I don’t think we have any guest speakers to talk that month so I will check that with the programme officer this week and let you know and then if it is around the time you are here we may be lucky enough to coordinate with you. I will be in touch,
Ann
Hi David,
Thanks for your complimentary comments! I have read the Tillegra newsletter you gave me and I’d be happy to be involved in the program you mention. Not before October though,as am flat out with talks! I’ll be in touch.
Dear Sharyn
Your impassioned talk at Ashfield Library was – like your book – both inspiring and devastating. It was great to meet you briefly afterwards. As mentioned, I am one of a group of eight concerned artists who worked together over recent years to help draw attention to the iniquity of the proposed Tillegra Dam north of Dungog, via a rolling program of regional residencies and exhibitions (2009-11).
We look forward to discussing further with you our evolving plans for a program of fossil-fuel-focused visual arts initiatives in the Upper Hunter region.
Yours
David Watson
for the Williams River Valley Artists’ Project
Hi Ann,
Thanks for spreading the word. I’d be happy to talk to Ashfield Probus but it wouldn’t be for some months as am flat out interstate. I have a Sydney engagement in November so maybe around then.
Dear Sharyn,
Thank you so much for your dynamic and informative talk today at Ashfield library on your latest release “Rich Land Wasteland”. I am reading it and will write a review for other Ashfield Library readers to look at. I will help spread the word to as many other Australians as I can. Would you be interested in giving a talk to the Ashfield Probus? I will talk to our programme officer and pass on your web address and inform him of the importance of getting this story out there so that we can do something together to stop this destruction. Like yourself, I have grandchildren and I know we must act now.
Ann
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for your encouraging comments. As for helping, maybe check the book website page for Links and join a group – a battalion!– perhaps local– if you are inclined that way, but certainly write letters to all your MPs and local papers and if you do Facebook, there too. We need to make this politically critical for the ‘leaders’ to listen to us over the rustle of dollars.
Brilliant and provocative work Sharyn, excellent documentation while written with great empathy. Congratulations. As a 70+ ex country person I am horrified at what I have not known about the extent of this scourge. I believe in the power of the multitude, while quickly learning prior to our recent QLD election that questions from a lone voice are easily dismissed by politicians.
Can I help and how?
Jenny Price
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your passionate comments. I love the thought and the words ‘ May it be a spark that iginites a (clean burning!) light for the future.’
Amen!
And yes I am still astonished at what came/comes out of Mr F’s mouth; he must never have been in gas field.
Hello Sharyn,
I have just bought and read your splendid book – congratulations. How power (in every sense) corrupts, and how it needs to be tramelled to serve rather than consume us. Most acts kept secret are bound to rot and your heartfelt expose shines a light on many a dark and previously hidden shameful situation. May it be a spark that iginites a (clean burning!) light for the future.
How Ferguson can still say CSG on farms is equivalent to wind power is mind boggling!
Hi Carol,
I couldn’t agree with you more! That’s exactly what the book asks folk to do in the conclusion. Thanks for maintaining the rage.
Hi Sharyn,
I think everyone this effects should put it on Youtube, flood it with everyones experiences, encouraging others to the same, it would reach maximum audience! then keep it up till those city dwellers realise!! and pressure politicans to change the regulations!
thank heavens for you! we are all talking about these issues, so worried for our neglected country.sorry I will miss you talk at kempsey, would love to have been there, will tell everyone!
am disgusted about Tomago sandbeds being drilled through for CSGas, its Newcastles drinking water!
why are mining companies exempt from town planning?
Its a crime what is happening in Qld. Are environmental tours, like the Piliga scrub, the only way to go to show toxic waste from these mines,as no news is ever broadcast, no politicans talking!!!
Thanks Maddie. Yes it is a real life horror story. Look on the book’s website and you may find a group there that you can join. And yes please spread the word!
Hi Sharyn,
Just read your book ‘Rich Land …’ It blew me away. I couldn’t put it down. While I realised there were problems with mining, I had no idea how bad it really was. And just how this kind of soul-destroying destruction could be allowed to happen in Australia is criminal. It reads like a horror story – like something that could happen in another country – but not here. This is scarey stuff.
Thank you, Sharyn for writing this book – an easy read for everyone, including non-academics (like myself) wanting the facts without having to plough through unintelligible jargon. And thank you for introducing us to those courageous fighters who spoke up about their struggles. Heartbreaking stuff.
We have things happening here with the Fraser Coast Council welcoming mining and csg. I’ll be finding our local action group to join, as well as recommending your book as often as I can. Good luck and strength to everyone fighting for their homes, towns, and the future of Australia/s.
As I write, there’s been a short news announcement on TV that Campbell Newman has just appointed one of his rels to a position overseeing the Port of Gladstone. Oh joy!
Hi Vivien,
Thanks for such encouraging words. It would be an epic bigger than Ben Hur as a film! In the meantime I look forward to being part of your radio show as we have now discussed; am a huge admirer of Beyond Zero Emissions.
Thank you so much Nicki; I think it will a make a difference too, when artists like us use our different media to express to the world what we see, and what breaks our hearts – as Acland continues to do.
And I see more and more of the public waking up to add their voices to ours.
Dear Sharyn
Well done on your epic book- confronting, uplifting, depressing, inspiring- a rollercoaster of a journey for you and your readers. It will make a difference…so many communities and good people impacted by a greedy industry. Our little corner (Acland and the Darling Downs) fights on and know we are far from alone!
Congratulations
Dear Sharyn,
A Mudgee friend of mine pressed your book “Rich Land..”
into my hand as she was going down to the rally on May 1st. I have read half of it and think you have done a massive job and made a great contribution which I hope will become a film sooner or later. I went on a listening tour of the Hunter two years ago and met many of those activists and it changed my life really.
I now produce a weekly radio show for Beyond Zero Emissions. You captured exactly the pathos and iniquity of what is going on up there, beyond the eyes of the national consciousness or so it would seem. That huge rally I hope is a turning point.
Thanks Paula; I do believe that all our efforts will bring about a change in the perception of political expediency in reining in these industries.
Great new book Sharyn; even though I knew quite a lot about the impact of Coal and CSG, there is a great impact delivered by hearing the personal stories of individuals. As you read, it seems unbelievable that much of this has been allowed to happen, and now we have to make every effort to make sure that the same thing does not happen with CSG in NSW.
Hello Di,
Thanks for your comments. Yes the industry has millions to spend on their spin and unfortunately many believe them. Let’s hope my book enlightens many more people: we need lots like you who want to know the truth! Do come back and give us your feedback when you’ve finished the book.