I read this book back in 1991. Actually I read it many times...

All these years,  I've remembered the story, the mystery, the romance of the book, but had forgotten the title.

When the movie Australia was released, the previews reminded me of this book, and I started my research again and there I found it! The Dreaming by Barbara Wood!
 

Joanna Drury comes to Australia with a deed in hand for land she has inherited. Her parents have died. Her mother, long before her death was tortured by dreams of dogs tearing her apart.
 

Then Joanna starts having the same dreams.
 

At the dock in Australia, she sees a young boy alone and goes to help him. Then the boy's uncle, Hugh Westbrook finds him and Joanna, and after they talk and Hugh may be able to help her find her property in exchange for caring for the boy for a while, they ride together to his sheep station, Merinda.
 

Aborigines treat Joanna strangely, as if they are afraid of her. She is convinced this has to do with the dreams both she and her mother had.
 

As she learns of the local lore, she knows something happened to her grandparents and needs to find answers before the mystery kills her. Apparently some sort of curse has been placed on the family, and she must have answers.

Hugh and Joanna fall in love and marry -
 

As Joanna goes across the massive country, to find the mysterious place on the deed, her party gets involved in an accident, and Joanna is alone in the brush. She starts remembering the lore of the Aborigines, where the land actually has messages written in it to follow - these are the 'songlines' of the Aborigines, and she follows then and finds the answers to her questions.
 

This is one of the most romantic books I've read, as well as a huge epic book about Australia and the Aborigines, and the metaphysical.
 

Having just reread it, the book still held the mystery and magesty of Australia and the wonder of the Aborigine culture.

The Dreaming by Barbara Wood, ISBN 10: 0595433359, AuthorsChoice Press, review by ellen george