A Quintette in Queensland is almost completely devoid of plot and possibly the weakest of the four. Brent-Dyer's account of a sugar-cane plantation must surely be one of the dullest tales ever told. Moreover, the author made her characters locals, instead of describing everything through the eyes of an English person as with Sharlie and Verena.

She looked at them again, and exclaimed: “Adam, you wretch, you've grown again! How on earth do you expect us to keep you in clothes, I'd like to know?”

“Look out, you ass! You'll smash the lot if you go hurtling about like that!”
“My precious china!” Their mother rushed to the rescue.

“Provided you live sensibly, eat sensibly, and work sensibly, there's no reason why the white man can't do the work. You see, Gwyn, Dad's explained to me that long ago the early settlers wanted to try to live as they'd done in the colder climate which they'd left. They wanted meat at least twice a day, and beer with their meals—or wine, if that was what they used—and they went round in thick cloth clothes, and all that sort of thing. Well, it just won't do in a climate like ours. I can't go into all the reasons now, but you can think it out for yourself. It's only a matter of commonsense.”

I am glad they don't burn the sugarcane at harvest time anymore. When they did my sinuses would play up. It was even worse for asthmatics.