Phoebe Raye

Forty Thousand Horsemen (1940) — Roderick Raye is arguably the key character in A Distant Prospect, and to quite a few readers, the most beloved. Having established himself as a violinist in the Viennese music scene before the outbreak of the Great War, Phoebe Raye’s father had returned to Ballarat and subsequently enlisted in the […]

Roderick John Raye Trooper 13th Lighthorse

April 21, 2015 in Phoebe Raye / Roderick Raye / War by francis

Stocktake time. Haven’t done a precise word count but I’m about 30,000 words into Part II – trans. The Vienna section. Needless to say, I am pleased. I also realise how little I know and how much I need to ‘grow up’. The flip side is that I have learned […]

Vienna takes shape!

October 8, 2014 in Annette / Phoebe Raye / Sequel / Vienna / Writing by francis

What was a typical Australian in 1928? Not until 1935 would all states celebrate Australia Day on 26 January. Sydney was officially still very British, and still celebrating Empire Day. The four girls in the quartet in A Distant Prospect were typical Aussies of the period, which is to say […]

I still call Australia home

July 27, 2014 in Della Sotheby / Phoebe Raye / Pim Connolly by francis

Albury steam locomotive 1930 — Colonial rivalry saw different rail guages in Victoria and New South Wales, making Albury’s impressive station “All change!” for passengers and goods, when the lines met on 14 June 1863. Albury’s 455-metre platform accommodates two full-length trains. In 1847-48 all three colonies had adopted England’s 4’8 1/2″ standard rail guage, […]

Albury “All change!”, Australian rail guage and Roderick’s “Bally Rat”

June 15, 2014 in Ballarat / Phoebe Raye / Railways / Roderick Raye by francis

With a tree planted for each soldier from Ballarat who enlisted in the Great War, the Avenue of Honour was planted from 1917 to 1919 and stretches 22 km along the Western Highway, consisting of 3,771 trees. The completed Avenue was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1920, and […]

Ballarat’s Avenue of Honour and Phoebe’s father

May 25, 2014 in Ballarat / Phoebe Raye / Roderick Raye / War by francis

Waler horse — Discovering a secret stash of illustrated letters provides Phoebe Raye with a dramatic narrative of trench life from her father, Roderick, including comical tales of his beloved war horse on the Western Front. Phoebe leant over to look at the letter Pim was reading. Again it was illustrated with a […]

Gregory Allegri, the hardy Australian war horse

April 28, 2014 in Gregory Allegri / Phoebe Raye / Roderick Raye / War by francis

How do musicians do it? What is the secret to sight-reading? In Chapter 12 of A Distant Prospect, Phoebe gives Lucy this 30-second crash course. ‘What on earth are you doing?’ asked Phoebe. I returned my glasses to my nose. She was staring at me in a very scornful way. […]

Crash course in music sight-reading

September 8, 2013 in Music / Phoebe Raye by francis

A Distant Prospect – ISBN 9780987435101