DOWN UNDER INTERVIEWS with Paul Rushworth-Brown - Episode 1

Interview with Australian Historical Fiction Author Sara Powter

🎉 Get ready for an electrifying interview this Thursday with none other than Paul Rushworth-Brown, our featured author of the week! 📚 Hailing from the captivating landscapes of Australia, Paul is a master of historical fiction, weaving tales that will transport you through time. 🌏 With his boundless imagination and impeccable storytelling, Paul's books are nothing short of extraordinary. But wait, there's more! Brace yourselves as he unveils a hidden gem in the world of Australian historical fiction: Sara Powter. 🌟 Born on the picturesque NSW Central Coast, Sara's journey is as fascinating as her stories. From childhood adventures along the East Coast to a career in entomology, her path eventually led her to the realm of writing. 💡 In the midst of unprecedented times, Sara's dedication to her craft soared, culminating in a whirlwind of captivating tales inspired by Colonial Australia and her own convict ancestors. Don't miss this opportunity to delve into the minds of two remarkable authors as they share their passion, inspiration, and the secrets behind their literary worlds. Stay tuned for an unforgettable conversation! 🔥 #lovepaulrushworthbrown #sarapowter #bethworsdell

Convict Shadows of the Past

Sara Powter

Jennifer’s story is, of course, just that, a story. But it was inspired by our visit to the 

Female Factory in Parramatta in October 2022 for the anniversary of the riot. The 

crosses mentioned at the end of the book are really there and situated in the airing 

yard that is accessible from the parking area. Make sure you have a look if you ever go 

there. They have been worn smooth by many fingers caressing them over the two 

hundred years, and these two small crosses inspired this story. 

 My own three-times great-grandmother, Mary Ann Tyzzer née Harris, was a Cornish 

milkmaid in Newlyn Cornwall who came to Australia after her husband had died. She 

came free with her children to Victoria in the 1860s. Her husband and sons had been 

lead miners in Newlyn Cornwall, and it was a dangerous venture. Her son William 

arrived first, hunting for the gold rush in the 1850s; when widowed, she followed with 

the rest of her children. They settled in the area and later named their settlement 

Newlyn. Many others from their area must have come and settled nearby. There are 

still Tyzzers in that area in Victoria, as there are in Newlyn, Cornwall. 

 The dairy history for the colony is reasonably accurate, although the Williams-Kellow 

farm, Park Meadow, is fictitious. However, it was at this time that Dr Harris, Elizabeth 

(Betty) Eccles, Captain Piper and his wife, plus the Scottish couple, the Rankins, 

started their dairies… but someone taught them, and that person is unknown. The last 

two families went to Bathurst. Dr Harris’s farm was in Ultimo and was the largest 

dairy in the colony for some years. Apparently, at one stage, he lived in a house next 

door to Elizabeth Farm in Rose Hill, Experiment Farm, and stayed there for a few 

years until his death. He died in 1838. 

There are interesting articles in the newspapers (available on TROVE) that mention a 

substantial improvement in the colony cheeses in the early 1820s. The prices quoted 

are as accurate as I can find. The newspaper and diary quotes in italics are factual (not 

the letters from my characters, though), and quotations are from documents I found. 

(see bibliography). 

 The Macquaries were known as emancipists’ friends, as were the Darlings. I wish to 

relay them as real and caring people rather than paper figures on a history page. I have 

used Macquarie’s diaries (see bibliography) as my primary source of information. 

Elizabeth Macarthur was known to have dairy cows, as Elizabeth House has a small 

dairy. This venue can be visited today. The breeds back then were not as we have now, 

as they were large, long-horned cows. Due to the French wars, the Channel Island 

cattle were banned from being exported until the 1820s, hence their scarcity. 

 My husband and I visited these Australian Heritage sites as we discovered that our 

own five-times great-grandmothers, who arrived together in 1814 on the Wanstead, both spent time in

both the old gaol and the Female Factory, in third class at Parramatta and, possibly, worked in this same

 courtyard. We felt that they, too, would have traced their fingers on these carvings, so the story was

 born. 

Sara

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