It's a month since the Literary High Tea at Glen Derwent; seems like centuries ago.
I read posts from authors who say they are using this time to write and write and write, to get books finished, started or well underway. Here I am struggling for motivation. Not because I'm miserable or depressed, even though some days it's difficult to ignore the COVID-19 horrors, but I just can't get the thought processes going.
So, here's something from one of my published books, putting it out there hoping you'll enjoy it.

Norfolk Island 1796

I’ve not seen anything this beautiful in my life. My baby will be born in paradise. I expect to see leprechauns or elves or faeries peeking from behind those magnificent trees. Me and two other girls put our heads back and take in the sky. It’s bluer than I’ve ever seen. Bluer than the sky over the ocean on our journey. There are no clouds. The air is fresh, and tastes like the quince jam the cook used to let us have in the master’s kitchen. I never thought air could have a taste, but this air does. 

 

Literary High Tea

Liz Virtue who owns the property known as "Glen Derwent" at 44 Hamilton Road, New Norfolk, Tasmania with her husband Rob, is an amazing business woman and host. The Heritage listed house nestles on 11 acres and includes the olive tree that my 5x great grandfather, James Bryan Cullen planted when he was granted the land in 1808.  As Rob gave my cousins Jo Lanning and Debbie Hammer, and a friend, Nicole Hilder a tour of the property, he pointed out the markings of superstition in the stable and on the front door step. The step has a piece of copper over it with circles and dots and other shapes banged into it. Apparently this kept the occupants safe from the evil that might want to enter.
The stable posts had burn marks all over them - each night before the doors were closed on the horses -  the person responsible would burn a mark into the timber to keep bad spirits away.

The Literary High Tea on Saturday 15th where I spoke about the characters in my historical fiction books was wonderful.
The food was magnificent and the audience fantastic.

James Bryan Cullen finished the house in 1818, but a couple of years after his death in 1821, his wife Elizabeth was forced to sell.

Speaking about them in the house they built was an honour.

Thanks to everyone who attended. :)

Life is busy

On Monday 10th February, our grandson was 21. I'd just turned 45 when he was born, and often mistaken as his mother (not now though, LOL). My husband and I have a special bond with Thomas - he was the only grandchild for nearly 10 years and is still, and looks like always will be, the only grandson. We're having a family dinner for his birthday on Friday night, where we'll meet his girlfriend, Belle's parents. Belle's father has read two of my books and is reading the third, looking forward to the meeting.

Last Thursday the first "Writing your family history" workshop at Melton Library and Learning Hub saw a few family historians chomping at the bit to get their family stories whipped into shape. It will be fun to support them on their journey.

This weekend I'm off to Glen Derwent at New Norfolk in Tasmania to speak at a "Literary High Tea". My four books are based on the families started as a result of the transportation of James Bryan Cullen (First Fleet 1788), Elizabeth Bartlett (1796) and James Blay and James Tedder (1812).
This beautiful Georgian Mansion was finished by Cullen in 1818 and today is run by Liz and Rob Virtue as a B&B and event venue. The Heritage listed house is in very good hands. Two of my cousins are coming with me, and we're staying in the mansion on the Saturday night.
What would James and Elizabeth think of that, their 5x great granddaughters staying in the house they built 202 years ago?

Research, research and more research

After watching Ash Barty lose the semi-final and finishing up reading a chapter in a sci-fi book, I decided to get back to the keyboard.

Research for the current WIP - working title - Empty Beds - has taken years, and is ongoing. Each time I think up an adventure for a character, I go back and research to see if it's plausible. This often means searching through newspaper articles on Trove (www.nla.gov.au), through shipping lists on Public Records Office Victoria, through births deaths and marriages, and cemetery records.

Here is an little excerpt from the Lancefield Examiner  10 April 1873. Love the language.

Last week we had to report the occurrence of a very sad accident which befell Mr James Allan of Monegeetta, and in consequence of which he had to be conveyed to the Melbourne Hospital. This week, it is our melancholy duty to record Mr Allan’s death. The sad event took place about 3 o’clock on Wednesday, 9^th inst. The shock to the system caused by the frightful nature of the injuries received was such that he never rallied sufficiently to allow of amputation to be performed. He gradually sank, and at the time above mentioned, passed quietly away. He was sensible to the last, and was able to converse with his wife, brother, and other members of his family, up to within a short time of his death...

As I remarked last week, there are few people in this district held in higher esteem than as the late Mr Allan. His unsullied reputation as a man of the strictest integrity in all business transactions, his never-failing good humour, and Christian kindness, served to command the respect and highest appreciation of all who knew him. His death may be said in some respect to be a public loss, for the district cannot spare many such men…Mr Allan was only 42 years of age at the time of his melancholy death.

The photo is Robert Allan, James' eldest son, with Fanny Robins Allan (seated) nee Darby (Robert's wife) and Jean Mary Allan, their daughter.

I"m forced to stay inside today because of the smoke from the fires in East Gippsland and Tasmania, (asthma). Thoughts are with those who are living through the loss of homes and livelihoods; heart breaking for the animals. 

A member of the University of Tasmania Diploma of Family History alumni group (FB) posted today that she lost all her family's antiques in the fires. Just like that, part of a family's story lost. There is nothing to be done about the loss of the physical items except try to salvage as much as possible, and claim insurance on the rest. But the family's stories won't be lost, because she understands the value of recording and telling those stories.

Don't put off writing up your family's sagas. Save the information on your computer and separate from it. I save on a portable hard drive, on Microsoft's OneDrive, Google Drive and sometimes Dropbox. Heaven forbid anything should happen to the house, but computers are fickle beasts and I don't want to risk losing all my years of research and writing.

 

The magic of Norfolk Island

When you watch this video, you'll understand why James Bryan Cullen, Elizabeth Bartlett, and the other settlers on Norfolk Island, didn't want to leave. It must have been heartbreaking when the British Government closed the settlement and sent them all to Van Diemen's Land to start again.


https://youtu.be/KYNz-cKiIZQ