The Magic Boomerang by Bruce Macpherson and June Macpherson.

The Magic Boomerang by Bruce Macpherson and June Macpherson.  Hardcover book (no dust jacket) with pictorial boards published by Young Australian Books 1963, unpaginated with colour and black and white photographs throughout. 

“An enchanting story of the great outback - Photographed in colourful Central Australia.” 

There was a time when colour film* was expensive.  There was also a time when people would hand colour photographs.  This book appears to have been photographed in black and white and then hand coloured lending the photos a certain colourful psychedelic effect... or is it the subject matter that leads me to the words “colourful psychedelic”.  It’s a strange journey that these … ummmm… I guess they are dolls… so… dolls, Camel, Kangaroos and others, are on.  A bit like the strange journey that Bruce and June must have been on when they decided to photograph their dolls wandering around in the Australian outback.  It must have been a good idea at the time.

 “Hullo,” said Jenny, “we are searching for the aborigines’ corroboree ground.  Can you tell us the way?”

So what's the story all about?  I don’t think that in 2013 it’s that important to know what the Magic Boomerang is all about.  From my brief glancing at the text, it all seems a bit dodgy and a little incorrect.  To me, the intricacies of the dodgy story line are not as impressive as the photos. So why did I pick up this book?  There is a simple answer and it is:

* Film was stuff you would put in a camera to store images on… a bit like a memory stick… except nothing at all like a memory stick.