The Flat Plateau

About the Book

Like the Indian mahout who, in the severest of weather, might feel compelled to invite his normally reserved and hard-working elephant into the family living room. Albeit free from having food snatched from over their shoulders, the people of the Far North Queensland town of Criterion had existed quite happily at the foot of the Flat Plateau barely mindful of its presence. But after ridiculous realty offers made by some holidaying Victorians saw a brief halt to the original graziers and farmers strict “no spontaneous dancing” policy, the locals began to disregard the white-iced, chocolate cake first sight that was their founding fathers initial impression. In favour of seeing White and Black peaks, not as birthday candles with lighted wicks, but canine teeth and The Flat Plateau as one enormous beastie’s lower jaw. To this day Victorians holiday in Queensland, on this occasion at least some did not return.

About the Author

After being born without anaesthetic in the maternity ward of the Royal Brisbane Hospital, Queensland, Australia on the 3rd of June 1961, Jonathan Gair spent more that half his life in both North and Far North Queensland. (the location of A Victorian Shamble and The Flat Plateau.) On weekends and during school holidays, he was employed in a rice mill and what would become his biggest love, agriculture. Yet following his failing to graduate from Ayr State High School, he became trainee manager with a large supermarket chain in Brisbane before joining the Infantry Corps of the Australian Army based in Townsville. Here he experienced more of the north as well as a stint at Air Force Base, Butterworth, Malaysia in general and Singapore. At the end of that service, he travelled and worked throughout the eastern states of Australia then spent two years in the U.K. pursuing the same farming passion as well as occasionally visiting Europe. Upon his return to Australia via Gallipoli, Turkey, he hitch-hiked from Darwin to Perth and finally Kalgoorlie where he worked for the Western Mining Corporation before, back in Queensland, he signed up this time with the Royal Australian Artillery Corps. Eventually going AWOL from both that Townsville, FNQ unit and a marital engagement, then went into being a contractor for a banana plantation for the next twelve years and it was in Tully that, after reading so much and especially ancient and modern European, Middle and Eastern Asian history plus the classics. He began studying in his spare time and writing in earnest. Lately, in between even more farming, he has taught English in southern Viet Nam and, subsequently, remains almost as much in love with the whole East, but more precisely South East Asia. He now resides in the coastal town of Bargara near Bundaberg, Queensland. The Fraser Island Coast.