The Crain Family of Mount Adrah: A Collection of Stories

$90.00

The Crain Family of Mount Adrah: A Collection of Stories brings together more than 60 years of memories and photographs from the 1860s through to the early 20th century, documenting the Crain family of Mount Adrah in New South Wales.

Written by Eric Crain, his stories capture the characters, humour and everyday experiences of generations who lived and worked in the district. Through firsthand accounts, vivid memories, and local anecdotes, the book offers a rare glimpse into everyday life, from pioneering beginnings and rural traditions to wartime experiences and close-knit community life.

First published in 2011, this newly reconstructed Third Edition preserves Eric's original stories while presenting them in a professionally produced hardcover format. More than a family history, Eric's stories offer a personal glimpse into life at Mount Adrah, recalling local characters, humour, hardships and the everyday experiences of a rural community through changing times.

The 2026 edition includes 288 pages of family and local history, map and photographs, together with a newly added name index to help readers locate family members and others mentioned throughout the book.

Printed to order by Mixam Australia.

The Crain Family of Mount Adrah: A Collection of Stories brings together more than 60 years of memories and photographs from the 1860s through to the early 20th century, documenting the Crain family of Mount Adrah in New South Wales.

Written by Eric Crain, his stories capture the characters, humour and everyday experiences of generations who lived and worked in the district. Through firsthand accounts, vivid memories, and local anecdotes, the book offers a rare glimpse into everyday life, from pioneering beginnings and rural traditions to wartime experiences and close-knit community life.

First published in 2011, this newly reconstructed Third Edition preserves Eric's original stories while presenting them in a professionally produced hardcover format. More than a family history, Eric's stories offer a personal glimpse into life at Mount Adrah, recalling local characters, humour, hardships and the everyday experiences of a rural community through changing times.

The 2026 edition includes 288 pages of family and local history, map and photographs, together with a newly added name index to help readers locate family members and others mentioned throughout the book.

Printed to order by Mixam Australia.

🪶 About Eric Crain

Eric Crain was a storyteller, family historian and keen observer of the people and places around him. Born in 1925 and raised at Mount Adrah, Eric grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins, listening to family stories at the kitchen table and in the paddocks, often more than once, and rarely told quite the same way twice.

Over a lifetime, he committed those memories to paper. His stories recall bushfires, runaway bulls, local characters, family escapades and the humour and hardships of everyday country life. With a keen sense of mischief, Eric readily acknowledged that some stories had grown in the telling, joking that they stretched with age “like the elastic band, as it gets older.”

His interest in family history went well beyond reminiscence. Eric researched the history of the Crain family and their Mount Adrah property over many years. In 1990, that work was specifically recognised when he received an Australia Day Medal for Achievement at the Kapooka Military Area, where he had worked from 1972 and later served in the Australian Army.

Storytelling remained part of Eric's life, whether recording his family's history, writing humorous poetry or entertaining a crowd with a well-told yarn. He never took himself too seriously, once introducing his work with the warning:

“To those foolish enough to read this book, I must apologise now for the complete waste of your time.”

The Crain Family of Mount Adrah: A Collection of Stories grew from that lifelong passion. Through Eric's words, the Crain family and the Mount Adrah community are remembered not simply as names and dates, but as people with personalities, humour, foibles and stories worth preserving.