From the 1800s to the start of World War I, the outback pioneers were joined by their wives.  These women encountered conditions that would test resilience and resourcefulness to the limit: heat, dust, isolation, hostile  wildlife, no medicial facilities and the never-ending, back-breaking work.  The outback was no place for a lady – yet many women with no experience of hardship rose the the challenge of making homes, nursing, farming – and keeping journals and correspondence that provide an amazing picture of their lives.