Nevil Shute Norway Foundation

Flying Summary: BEYOND THE BLACK STUMP

TITLE BEYOND THE BLACK STUMP Remarks
Published: 1956  
Setting: 1950s  
Story: A simple story of exploration by an American for oil in the Australian outback. He takes the Australian girl back to the USA to meet his family; they do not like each other. His consolation to her is that his survey indicates water below the apparently barren land of her Australian boyfriend’s sheep station.
Aviation references are incidental and largely trivial.
 
Locations: Outback in Western Australia
Oregon, USA
 
Main Characters: Mollie - Australian girl living in the Outback
Stanton - an American Oil Surveyor
David - Mollie's Australian sheep-farmer boyfriend
 
Flying Episodes: All incidental  
Aircraft: Unidentified US training aircraft
Dakota, Viscount
Pan American Stratocruiser
 
Flying Characters: Chuck Sheraton, USAF Flying Instructor  
Aviation Location(s): Harrisburg, Texas
Guildford Airport, Onslow, Perth
Kingsford Smith Sydney, Fiji, Honolulu,
Portland, Oregon, USA
 
Aviation Activities Night flying training – hit a train
Incidental passenger flights: Australia – USA
 
Additional Comments: Reference to a fatal US training flight paints a cryptic picture of the somewhat tangled yet incidental relationships involved.