{"product_id":"books-bones-in-the-wheat-fields-robert-bedfords-south-australian-dream-paperback","title":"Books \u0026 Bones in the Wheat Fields: Robert Bedford's South Australian Dream - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRobin Wagner\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA remarkable life set against the changing landscape of early twentieth-century South Australia. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRobert Bedford, born Robert Buddicom, was a 20th century scientist, philosopher, inventor, and community organizer. Banished from his home in England in 1915, he eventually landed in Kyancutta, South Australia where he established a library and museum. He also practiced medicine, operated a post office and general store, built a cottage hospital, removed fossils and meteorites from public lands, and constructed an aerodrome in the middle of the wheat fields to capitalize on east-west air traffic in the early days of Australian aviation. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBedford's ambitions were practically unlimited. With the right financial backing from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and other sources, he expected to turn a museum in the hinterlands into a major cultural center. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile that kind of financial support never developed-nor did his hopes of joining Adelaide's scientific establishment-Bedford nonetheless accomplished a great deal. His library was a magnet for residents of the Eyre Peninsula. His museum contained important items ranging from an Egyptian sarcophagus to spectacular fossils. But perhaps most important, however imperious and self-centered he was, Bedford played a constructive role as a community leader, author of significant scientific papers, and advocate for a free library system in South Australia. He was a character of the first class. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn telling Bedford's story, Books \u0026amp; Bones in the Wheat Fields sheds fresh light on life in South Australia during the period between the Great War and World War II. \u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 374\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.02 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 29, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67972564746547,"sku":"9798995275909","price":41.54,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/V7DbcGPYqa9798995275909.webp?v=1794430396","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/books-bones-in-the-wheat-fields-robert-bedfords-south-australian-dream-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}