A woman of the land

This cross-cultural study presents the life history of an 85-year-old Australian woman's health, illness and care experiences. The data were obtained from interviews over a four-month period. Content analysis was used to discover domains of meaning and formulate categories. The findings are ordered according to the following cultural themes: being a woman of the land, learning to get good feelings and ways to manage unsettling times. "Hardiness" and "keenness for learning" emerge for potential consideration in nursing practice and research.