Broken Dreams

Now included in UQP's First Nations Classics series with an introduction from Gayle Kennedy, Broken Dreams is a moving and inspiring story of a life transformed in an accident, told with dignity and grace.

When eighteen-year-old Bill Dodd dived into the Maranoa River his life changed in an instant. This young larrikin had enjoyed many adventures as a stockman on a remote cattle station; now he was a quadriplegic. His boxing, running and football days were over, and he would never ride his beloved horses again. Bill's story begins with a high-spirited childhood in smalltown Queensland, a time of youthful humour and energy. The sudden death of his stockman father affects Bill deeply and he rebels, before himself choosing the exciting life of an apprentice stockman. Waking up in the intensive care spinal unit, he faces the consequences of his accident and slowly builds a new life.

About the Author

Bill Dodd, born in 1965, spent his childhood in Mitchell, Queensland and on cattle properties in the area. He left school shortly before completing year ten, after the sudden death of his stockman father. For a time he worked as a stockman near Mitchell and later on a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory. Three days before his eighteenth birthday, Bill Dodd suffered a broken neck in a diving accident and became a quadriplegic. He spent almost six months in the spinal unit at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital, and afterwards was transferred to Westhaven Nursing Home in Roma, living there for six years. In Roma he worked as a clerical assistant in the office of the Community Youth Support Scheme.