Top Drawer : WORDS
A: Oral Histories
The Way It Was: Talking about the past on the mountain
Bill Bottomley and Ken West and 50 mountain residents. A comprehensive oral history of the Mangrove Mountain plateau. This book has been digitised by Gosford Library Local Studies, and can be accessed by clicking the heading.
By Force of Maul and Wedge: Talking about the Great North Road
An informal oral history of a monument to convict engineering and plans for its conservation, by Bill Bottomley 1996. This book has been digitised by Gosford Library Local Studies, and can be accessed by clicking the heading.
Back Then
Talking about the past around Yarramalong
In Those Days
Talking about the past around Murrays Run and Watagan Creek
When the Ferries Got Away
The true story of four car ferries swept down the Hawkesbury River in the floods of 1978
Mary Bottomley Remembers
Memories of a Balmain girl
Talking about the past around Wyee
With Zita Deaves and Russell Deaves
Remembering Wangi Power Station
B: Working Lives
What Did You Do For a Crust?
Retired people talk about their working lives.
Working at Morisset Hospital IN THE BAD OLD DAYS
Laurie Akers, as told to Bill Bottomley.
Saltwater Man
A life at Sea, by Bill Johnson.
One Foot
Vietnam Vet Bruce Fenwick’s story as told to Bill Bottomley.
To Specialise is to Brush One Tooth
Notes from the life of a generalist, by Bill Bottomley:
Appendix: Playing Around with Organised Noise
Some more about music.
C: Other Words
ENDGAME: Notes from Aboveground (PDF)
Reflections on moving into an aged care facility
ENDGAME: An addendum (PDF)
Farewell Bill Bottomley
On The Edge
Jazz Players talk about Improvisation
Over the Hill and Down the River
Cruising the Murray in a home-made raft
The Car Punts of Newcastle
The Dunny Book (PDF)
A Miscellany
Tailor-Made Battledress for the Continuing Class War (PDF)
SMH Heckler article October 3, 2006
Take a leaf out of the eco-book (PDF)
SMH Heckler article January 10, 2011
Two Reviews (PDF)
Bottomley on Bottomley
Taping, Typing and Trusting (PDF)
Confessions of a Transcriber
On the Record and Off the Record (PDF)
The case of the runaway ferries
Wigwams & Goose’s Bridles
A Guided Tour Around My Father’s Shed by Lorraine Banks:
A Kind of Illustrated Journal (PDF)
How things look to an 80yr-old in 2017