Queensland history brought to life

In Carroll’s words, “Tom Petrie is a fascinating character who grew up in the harsh environment of the Moreton Bay Penal Colony. The Petrie family is well known for their contributions to the development of the state of Queensland. Tom befriended the local Aboriginal people, the Turrbal, learnt their language and customs and was initiated as a ‘turrwan’ (great man).” According to Carroll, the colonial history of Australia has been widely represented in fiction, whereas Brisbane has been largely neglected.

Tom Petrie arrives in Brisbane in 1837, aged six. From the first day, he encounters the convict Grayson, who, over the years, becomes his mortal enemy bent on revenge. As a teenager, Tom discovers forbidden love with Karawara, the daughter of a tribal leader who opposes the whites. Tom is torn by the conflict between whites and blacks on the violent frontier and has enemies in both camps. When his world is shattered by tragedy, he sinks into the abyss in the New South Wales goldfields. Tom returns to Brisbane to rebuild his life, but Grayson has other plans.

In a review of Turrwan on throwthebook.org, Rob Kennedy states, “Richard J Carroll knows how to write and how to tell a clear and entertaining story. His writing is very effective, and professionally constructed and edited. He communicates in a deft, subtle manner that reminds me of the likes of Patrick White and Kate Grenville. His writing is a pleasure to read and he has a distinctive style. The story he creates in Turrwan is a clean, easy to follow construction. The parts that really shine are his portrayals and understandings of Aboriginal people and their values.”

Carroll completed a PhD in creative writing at QUT in 2014 and after self-publishing Turrwan is now working on a sequel. More information about the novel, photos and blog can be found on his website at richardjcarroll.com/. Turrwan is available from Mary Ryan’s Milton, and all major online booksellers including Amazon.

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