From the Voice Referendum to Anzac Day: Why I Wrote Outback Odyssey
- Paul Rushworth-Brown
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
There are moments in history that make you stop and think.
For me, one of those moments came on Anzac Day in 2025.
Like many Australians, I read The Guardian's report about the disruption of the Welcome to Country at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance. A small group attempted to drown out Bunurong Elder Uncle Mark Brown as he welcomed those gathered for the dawn service.
What struck me most wasn't the actions of a few individuals.
It was the response from everyone else.
Thousands of Australians applauded, showing their respect not only for Uncle Mark Brown, but for the values of unity and remembrance that Anzac Day represents.
As I reflected on the article, I couldn't help thinking back to the Voice referendum eighteen months earlier. Whatever our individual views or how we voted, one thing had become obvious. Australia was still trying to find a way to have difficult conversations about its history, its identity and its future. Why I wrote Outback Odyssey explores how the Voice referendum and Anzac Day 2025 inspired a novel about identity, belonging and reconciliation.
That was when I realised that Outback Odyssey wasn't simply a historical novel.
It was the story I had been trying to tell all along.
History Has Always Been About People
Throughout my life, I've been fascinated by history—not because of kings, politicians or famous battles, but because of ordinary people.
As a teacher, I encouraged students to look beyond dates and events and ask a much more important question.
How did history affect the lives of ordinary men, women and children? This is why I wrote Outback Odyssey.
The same question has guided every book I've written.
History isn't just something that happened.
It continues to shape the way we think, the way we see one another and the way we understand ourselves.
Why Jimmy's Story Matters
When readers first meet Jimmy Brown, he's a young English migrant trying to find his place in an unfamiliar country.
Like many newcomers before him, he arrives with very little understanding of Australia's First Nations peoples or their deep connection to Country.
He doesn't set out to change.
Country changes him.
The more time he spends with the Munurrakalai people, the more he begins to understand that survival isn't simply about strength or determination.
It's about listening.
It's about respect.
It's about recognising that wisdom can come from places we least expect.
Jimmy's journey isn't intended to represent every Australian.
It's simply the story of one young man discovering that understanding another culture begins with humility.
Why I wrote Outback Odyssey
After the Voice referendum, there was no shortage of opinions.
After Anzac Day, there were even more.
I didn't want to add another opinion.
I wanted to tell a story. This is why I wrote Outback Odyssey.
Stories allow us to walk beside someone else for a while.
They ask us to see the world through different eyes.
As a writer, I believe they often achieve something arguments cannot.
They help us understand.
Recognition Beyond Fiction
Since its publication, Outback Odyssey has received recognition not only as historical fiction, but as a novel that encourages readers to think about identity, belonging, reconciliation and our shared history.
More recently, that broader body of work has been recognised through my nomination for a Human Rights Creative Award.
I see that nomination not simply as recognition of one novel, but of a lifelong belief that history should bring people together rather than divide them.
If readers finish Outback Odyssey with a greater appreciation of Australia's history, a deeper respect for First Nations culture, or simply a willingness to see another person's perspective, then I've achieved exactly what I set out to do.
History cannot be changed.
But the way we understand it can.
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Editorial Note
This article was inspired by reporting published by The Guardian Australia following the Anzac Day dawn service at Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance on 25 April 2025.
Original reporting:"Neo-Nazi' booing of Welcome to Country at Melbourne Anzac Day dawn service condemned" by Luca Ittimani, The Guardian Australia, 25 April 2025.