The story of a Fryerstown man, Charles Sanger (1880-1953) was first published in 2008, and “Vagabond” sold, sold and sold! To the extent a re-print was considered necessary. Due to continued interest in the book, the publisher, Friends of the Box-Ironbark Forests (FOBIF) decided on a new edition.
The book had been first written in 2008 by Bernard Slattery, Doug Ralph and Deirdre Slattery and had been published by FOBIF, so Bernard and Deirdre wrote revisions and updates, with Bronwyn Silver again doing the new layout work. With a new cover and layout, the 2026 version “fleshes out some of the stranger themes in the story and suggests that Sanger’s case was not an isolated one.”
“Charles Sanger had been a dashing but elusive character. Journalists had called him the Fryers Bushranger, but he never held up anyone with a gun, and the gun he did have never worked anyway. He served time in jail, but was well liked by ordinary people. He was one of the last of the bush hermits, and his story is also the story of the changing bush, of a time lost in history, and of a quiet country community that looked after its own.”
The authors state in the Introduction: “We believe that the curious story of Charles Sanger is still relevant in an age preoccupied with crime, scarred by homelessness, and unable to offer a ‘decent’ living to marginals – people somehow unable to conform to the requirements of our social system.”
And so it came to pass that a new edition of “Vagabond, the Story of Charles Sanger” was launched by local author Robyn Annear last Saturday (23 May) in the Castlemaine library foyer. Robyn picked up the thread of the vagabond title, explaining that whilst the term now often implies wandering without a permanent address and living a nomadic, sometimes unconventional or carefree lifestyle that wasn’t always so. In past times unsettled people were regulated, and laws like the Vagrancy Act of 1824 sought to punish, and even imprison, anyone perceived to be an “idle and disorderly person” lacking a fixed address. Wanderers were often equated with rogues, con artists, and beggars who feigned illnesses or misfortunes to extract money from the public.
As always, Robyn’s talk was entertaining and thoroughly enjoyed by the enthralled and appreciative audience. A thank you gift was presented to her by Gen Blades, acting FOBIF president amidst vigorous applause.
This new edition is dedicated to the memory of Doug Ralph (1948-2015), the driving force behind the rival of this story.
The book is now available at Stonemans Bookroom, the Castlemaine Visitors Information Centre & through our website.
Thanks John Ellis, Marie Jones & Gen Blades for text and photos.
Click on image for info/order page
Click on image for info/order page
Click on image for info/order page
