Saturday 20 April 2013

Historic and Romantic Parramatta, NSW

With another week having rushed by me there seems to be a hole in my work calendar that wasn’t filled by work! I certainly can’t ascribe to the saying “that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. I’ve done nothing but play… all bowls. It was both fun and rewarding, and my game has improved somewhat as a result of the many days out on the greens this week. The theme of my next book, as yet untitled, is both historic and romantic. The main characters are taking shape and the scenes are played out in an area that I know well, having been born and raised a mere few kilometers away. From memory I can almost relive some of my childhood trips to Parramatta Park, where I rode my bicycle along the pathways or over the rolling hills. With some imagination, those same places are coming to life again in a slightly different way and without a bike. The time frame in which I am setting the story, 1815 – 1820, was an important period in the life of a new colony. It was a time in which the problem of growing enough food for all the residents, particularly in the region of greater Sydney, had been solved. New businesses and farms were flourishing [many with help from the convict labourers]; the huge mountain range to the west of Sydney, the Blue Mountains, had been crossed and new grazing lands discovered. This opened up the country for sheep, cattle and wheat growers. I hope it also opens my mind to a ‘rollicking yarn’ as the saying goes.’’ Cheers T.B.

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