Star of Anise by Jane Jolly

The first men from Afghanistan and Pakistan who arrived in Australia during the nineteenth century, worked the camels needed for exploration and carrying goods to outback settlements. Some of these became hawkers, but most hawkers were from the Sikh communities of northern India. Women were not allowed to accompany the men to Australia, so these men traveled alone in their wagons, taking goods to places beyond any shop. The excitement of a hawker’s wagon arriving at their isolated homestead had Annie and Arthur speeding down the dusty road to meet Bhagwan. He invites them into his wagon to select the goods their family might buy and to seek out something for themselves.

Annie is looking at the beautiful hair combs Bhagwan promised to bring last time he was here, while Arthur’s eyes went to the dagger, but his mother had told him these were only worn by the Sikh men. After looking at the exotic array of goods from far away, the children see Bhagwan put out his mat and begins to get ready for the night. He takes off his turban and unwinds his long black hair, combing it up again and putting on a new clean turban. The children take his dirty one back home to be washed. He cooks a meal which smells of home and he shows Annie the star anise which gives it its flavour. The smell of this herb reminds him of the Punjab and those he has left behind.

He gives several of them to Annie and she places these on her dressing table, allowing the aroma to fill the room. She too, dreams of exotic places beyond her walls. Next day as Bhagwan packs up to leave, Annie gives him a sprig of gum nuts, letting him draw in the aroma of this Australian tree.

A charming story of a little known part of Australia’s history, this book will open children’s eyes to the life led by people their age more than a century ago, when visitors were rare and goods from overseas even rarer. The excitement of the travelling hawker is convincingly revealed as Annie and Arthur run to meet the turbaned man and his wagon.

The story of these men and the work they did is offered in the last four pages of the book, with photos of the times to intrigue the readers. This gentle tale embraces the diversity of people who came to Australia a century or more ago, noting their traditions and customs readily accepted by those they came in touch with. This book underscores the multicultural aspects of Australian life, not only in the twenty first century, but from the beginnings.

Supported by lovely illustrations, the whole talks of loneliness, of excitement when the hawker comes by, of his reminiscences of home, of the children’s increased knowledge of places far away, of the panorama of the Australian environment, of the work done by early migrants to this country speaking a different language and with different customs, who helped open the outback for exploration, trade and settlement. Illustrator Di Wu captures Bhagwan’s differences expertly, showing the importance of his hair, the dagger, and the things he brings in his wagon, how the star anise recalls memories of his home, and promotes thoughts in Anna of places beyond her world.

Themes: Sikhs, Hawkers, Australian history, Remoteness, Star anise.

Fran Knight