THEY say truth is stranger than fiction and for local author, historian and publisher Ian Itter that adage certainly holds true.
Researching and writing about the early squatter history of Australia has thrown many weird and wonderful stories his way and the 76-year-old shows no signs of slowing down.
His company – Australian Short Run Publishers – has produced 38 books, including 18 written by Mr Itter himself.
Two more books are in the works, both transcriptions of older works like the unpublished letter revealing a different story of Tyntyndyer Homestead.
With such an impressive body of work, it’s hard to believe Mr Itter only began writing a decade ago.
The spark for his very first story came during a drive home from Deniliquin many years ago when a certain property caught his eye.
“I was coming back towards Wakool and you pass a station out there called Old Cobran,” he said.
“As we came past my friend said: that’s where old Fred Wolseley made the shearing machine.
“It was the biggest shearing shed in Australia, 109 stands with cutters.
“It’s mind blowing stuff, right in our own backyard.”
For more on this story, grab a copy of Wednesday’s Guardian (June 28).
