The Drover's Wife: Character

How would you characterize the drover's wife?

The narrator describes the drover's wife as a "gaunt, sun-browned bushwoman." The story is set in the Outback of Australia, hence the term "bushwoman." Life in the bush is hard, so she has to be strong in body and will. When her son spots a snake, she doesn't panic; instead she makes a safe place for herself and her children until she knows the snake is gone. Although her husband has been away for 6 months, she isn't afraid or worried that he won't return. A drover's job takes him away for months at a time, and she's used to being alone. She must be educated because she reads the Young Ladies' Journal; we know she dreams of a different life because she enjoys looking at the fashions.

She has faced fires and floods and sickness and other problems all on her own, but the narrator says she seems to be content with her life:

She seems contented with her lot. She loves her children, but has no time to show it. She seems harsh to them. Her surroundings are not favourable to the development of the “womanly” or sentimental side of nature.