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Read a sample Author
Biography
Born and educated in England, Pat came to Australia
to teach art in Australian schools. She is now retired, living in a small town
on the coast of NSW with her husband and pets. Writing has become a second career and Pat is now the
author of many Children’s illustrated, Young Adult and Adult novels. Read a sample of the first chapter: Chapter One
On the morning of 3rd of March
1858, the schooner, Conway, tied
beside the wharf, cast dark shadows of gloom into the departure depot where
Penelope Watts stood clutching a letter from her brother, Charles. The contents
of the letter, read many times for reassurance, still filled Penny’s heart
with qualms. Why should she think she could forsake the
soft green fields of home for the vastness of the deep Black Sea and an The thoughts filling her with dread were the
steps to be taken to cross the chasm between the shore and ship, between her old
life and the new. If she achieved these monumental steps, she still had the
worry about how she would endure the long voyage, worry about what they would
find when they arrived, and most of all, whether they would be happy living in
the
Strewn before her on the Depot floor lay all her worldly possessions -
trunks, boxes, and bundles. A bored looking official came up to her and thrust
three canvas bags into her hands. She wedged Charles’ letter in her small
purse and stared at the official, with an incomprehensible glaze crossing her
young face. The vacant look, alerting the official to the fact that Penny “Madam,” the man shouted, trying to make
her hear above the contiguous noise. “You… need… to… pack… enough…
clothes… to… last… you… a… month…. one month! You should manage with
those three bags.” He pointed to the bags clasped in her hands. “After one
month, Captain Perry will let passengers down into the ship’s hold to change
dirty clothes for clean. Do you understand?” he added, shaking his head and
moving on to the next family. Penny nodded her head, cringing at the
thought of having to wear the same clothes for a month. She prided herself on
cleanliness, doing the household washing for the rectory once a week. How could
she even contemplate wearing the same clothes for a month? How would she know
what clothes to pack in the bags, to last her a month? Thomas Watts, her husband, ambled over from
talking to other passengers in time to catch the last part of the official’s
instructions. Penny stood; the three bags grasped in her
hands and a vacant look on her face. “How do I know what clothes we will “I think,” he answered good-naturedly,
seeing the look of consternation on her face and hearing the quiver in her
voice. “I think… you’ll need to look only in terms of older clothes. Not
those pretty dresses you have packed, but comfortable, everyday clothes you wear
around the house. Some warm, but definitely more for colder weather. It’s
going to be chilly until we reach “If only I knew what to expect,” Penny
said ruefully, bending to rummage in the opened trunk. “Do you think there’s
a chance that we will be able to get
down into the hold after a month?” Tom looked at his wife with an expression of
love, mingled with concern. He reached over, took a canvas bag from her hands,
and began to fill it with his clothes. “I’m sure the Captain will allow us
to change our clothes. We would surely smell Penny watched Tom pack his jackets, canvas
trousers, hose, shirts, and a few other things. He’s so strong, she thought.
Nothing seems to worry him. Nothing is too much trouble to him. She knew he
would go to the end of the earth to help her. “There, I’ve packed mine,” he said,
standing up. “I’ll gather some of the kitchen utensils, pans, candles, and
other things we’ll need. When you’ve finished, my love, I’ll arrange for
all this stuff to be stowed in the hold.” He walked over to the bundle of
kitchenware and started to search for what he deemed suitable for cooking. Although provisions in the form of basic
rations were provided throughout the trip, passengers were expected to bring the
bulk of their needs, cooking equipment and necessities, along with their
luggage. Visions
of trying to cook meat in boiling water on a moving ship filled Penny with more
alarm. She stood mesmerised. Glancing around, her mind racing around in never
ending circles fuelled by the strange images around her, she tried to make sense
of what was happening. The depot resonated with pandemonium. A scene
of total confusion, strewn with all the belongings of passengers, alive She looked up from where she stood, noticing
through the cracked depot window, a stream of other passengers surging up the
gangplank to board the ship. The line seemed never-ending, likened to an
onslaught of foraging ants. Yes, Penny thought, they look, from here, like ants
carrying food and belongings to nests. Deciding remorsefully she and Tom would have
to join the line soon if the ship was leaving on the evening tide, she bent down
over the trunk to decide on the clothing to pack into canvas bags. She put in
old warm day dresses, stockings, pantaloons, stays, and petticoats. She started
to do this carefully, but as panic struck her, she grabbed the rest of her
things and squeezed everything in as quickly and as tightly as she could. “That will have to do!” she said,
straightening her back, beads of sweat gathering on her hairline and panic
invading her As the daughter of an Anglican minister,
Penny was twenty-one years old, slight in stature, fine boned, with an
English She needed Tom to hold her in his arms, to
tell her everything would work out fine. She needed his reassurance. The
ship The glint in Tom’s eye when they talked
about the new life, the ease at which all the arrangements had been made, the
enthusiasm and encouragement from her brother. All these things weighed in
favour of a new start, a new life. Remembering what Charles stated in his
letter, a glint of hope ran through her mind, ‘You
can try it. If it does not work out, which I am sure it will, you can make a
quick fortune and return to England.’
At least, I have that
alternative she mused. Charles, who had been adventuring in
Australia for several years, wrote to encourage them to immigrate. ‘…
Australia is a land of plenty. A very fine country and I think you should like
it. We sit down to a good joint of beef everyday, fresh fruit, vegetables, and
sunshine. I made my
money by scratching around in the gold fields, but I feel sure from what I hear
about your new husband and his talent, that he would soon be a proud landowner
over here in this new country. Tell Tom; he may buy good
Charles continued in his letter to praise the virtues of the colony,
urging the newly married couple to think seriously about crossing the world to
join him. To help them decide, he sent money to augment their fare. Charles had a new wife, a home and prospects
in Australia. It is easier for him, Penny thought ruefully, trying to fit
more “Because we can’t wash anything for a
month, I’d better unpack all the light coloured dresses and repack darker
material. Standing up straight, she thought, Charles’
optimism and enthusiasm is certainly catching, but now as she stood waiting for
Tom, she felt daunted by the prospect of leaving her home, her father and life,
as she knew it. Later in the morning, Penny watched as Tom
hoisted and stowed their belongings into the ship’s hold and their sleeping
area. He returned, the sweat pouring off his brow.
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