Eumundi Voice Issue 114, 3 April 2025

Literature

Michael Taylor – Biographer

Every person’s life can be viewed as either a patchwork quilt held together by faded photographs and unreliable memories, or a colourful jigsaw with randomly scattered pieces. Either way it is a story that deserves to be told. Local author Michael Taylor writes those life stories. In doing so, he creates literary immortality for each person, because your biography is your biology. However, it is not a

task to take on lightly. A good biographer needs the skills of a novelist and the curiosity of a detective, combined with the compassion and discretion of a priest at confession.

His 2 dozen books have included a reclusive billionaire, an inspiring quadriplegic and a charismatic car salesman. A town such as Eumundi has its own treasure trove of individuals whose tales remain untold.

The Matso’s Brewery site has become a popular part of Eumundi’s social scene, but few would know of the brand’s humble beginnings in Broome, WA as a grocery store. In 2021 Michael travelled to the Kimberley to write the extraordinary story of the man responsible for transforming Matso’s from a microbrewery to a household name and Broome icon.

Committing to a biography is akin to standing in the middle of Eumundi’s main street on a Saturday morning naked and doing cartwheels. But, oh what a feeling! And, by having that book written, you will never be forgotten. Visit: number41.com.au. Janet Millington