Lisa's Books

Red Dust in Her Veins: Women of the Pilbara

By Lisa Holland-McNair with Melva Stone and Erica Smyth

Highest selling West Australian non-fiction author in 2008

"Once the red dust gets into your veins, you never lose your passion for the Pilbara." - Melva Stone

The 12 women interviewed in this book all share a strong attachment to the physical and spiritual beauty of the Pilbara, in the north-west of Western Australia. A common bond between the four Indigenous and eight non-Indigenous women, whose stories we have published, is not only this love of the landscape but also the various difficulties they have faced, and the opportunities they have created, in this remote and awe-inspiring region. Some went in search of adventure, others to escape from abusive relationships. Some followed their partners' careers, while others tackled problems of cultural dispossession and gender identity.
more info

Make your Mark...The Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation

By Lisa Holland-McNair

Make your Mark is the story of the Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation which was established in 1995 by a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians to support Indigenous youth achieve their potential; enhance skills and generate positive aspirations for young Indigenous people; and help Indigenous youth relate to the community and other young Australians. It is a not-for-profit organisation which now supports 15 education programs throughout Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales. In 2010 there were 486 students participating in the project around Australia and since its inception, 259 students had graduated from Year 12.
more info

Who the Hell is Effie Crump?

By Lisa Holland-McNair from the reminiscences of Elizabeth Caiacob

In the late 1980s, a group of ‘resting’ actors gather in a Sorrento backyard, sipping wine and bemoaning the fact that Perth’s theatre scene is diminishing before their eyes. The solution? Effie Crump of course, an unlikely name for an unlikely saviour.

The heroine of this story? Elizabeth Caiacob, who in 1990 transforms a disused room in North Perth’s Old Brisbane Hotel, into a vibrant, intimate theatre scene, loved by all who squeeze into its tiny auditorium. With Elizabeth at the helm, the next eight years sees Effie’s stage support a plethora of local and international plays, written, directed and performed by up and coming, as well as world-renowned, stars.
more info

Breaking New Ground: Stories of Mining and the Aboriginal People of the Pilbara

Breaking New Ground: Stories of Mining and the Aboriginal People of the Pilbara is a celebration of people. The people you will meet in the following pages have struggled and rejoiced, succeeded and failed. Some of these people are miners, others are the traditional custodians of the land. Some look towards the future, while others reflect on the past.

Their stories mainly explore the impact Pilbara Iron’s Aboriginal Training and Liaison Unit (ATAL) has had on the local communities since it was established in 1992. But this story would be incomplete without broadening the scope to encompass Rio Tinto and the mining industry in Australia. It is only when considered in this wider context that the true significance of ATAL’s achievements can really be recognised.
more info

Side by Side (short story in Short and Twisted 2007)

Such a perfect day. A crisp spring morning filled with birds singing and bees buzzing. The breeze whispers secrets in my ear, embracing my numb body as it steals by. I am submerged in its beauty. Yet it can’t seduce me for long as my gaze rests once again on what is mine...
more info