A Distant Prospect – ISBN 9780987435101

History

“Infantile paralysis. No known treatment. Do the best you can with the symptoms presenting themselves.” – telegram to trainee bush nurse, Sister Elizabeth Kenny, in 1909. By 1910, the doctor who sent this telegram was amazed to learn that she had treated six children with poliomyelitis, and none were crippled […]

Polio in the 1920s, Sister Kenny and Lucy’s pain

November 17, 2013 in Lucy Straughan / Morgan Straughan / Polio / Suffering by francis

Here is a brief guide to the Irish expressions used by Lucy and her father, Morgan, in A Distant Prospect. A printable version is at Gluais úsáide Gaelach – Glossary of Irish usage. Dia duit: Hello (literal translation: God to you) Dia is Muire duit: Hello (literally, God and Mary to […]

Gluais úsáide Gaelach – Glossary of Irish usage

November 13, 2013 in Irish / Lucy Straughan / Morgan Straughan by francis

What does a writer do when she is missing her characters? In this case, Annette sits in the stands at Bellerive during the Sheffield Shield cricket match between the Tasmanian Tigers and the NSW Blues and makes copious notes for the sequel of A Distant Prospect! Watch this space.

Sequel underway!

February 9, 2013 in Cricket / Sequel / Writing by francis

In A Distant Prospect, first violinist Della Sotheby’s brother Wally plays club cricket for Balmain. In December 1928, England thrashed Australia in the Second Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The SCG crowd of 58,446 at the 1928 Sydney Ashes Test is a ground record which still stands today. […]

1928 Sydney Ashes Cricket Test

January 29, 2013 in Cricket / Sydney / Wally Sotheby by francis

The Great War scarred many of the characters in A Distant Prospect. The father of one of the quartet members served in France in the 13th Regiment of the Australian Light Horse. Formed at Broadmeadows in Victoria in March 1915, its regimental number quickly led to it becoming known as […]

Ballarat to France – the Australian Light Horse 13th Regiment

January 6, 2013 in War by francis

Lucy and her father speak Irish quite a bit in A Distant Prospect, requiring Annette to study the language in order to write it. Some of the funniest moments in the book see Lucy blurt out something in Irish in mixed company. Here’s an Irish grace before meals: Beannaigh sinne, […]

Beannaigh sinne, a Dhia

November 25, 2012 in Irish / Prayers by francis

Men in the trenches awaiting the attack at Fromelles 19 July 1916 — The 1914-18 Great War had long-lasting effects on Australia, including the families of our four string quartet members in A Distant Prospect. As the Australian War Memorial’s official synopsis of Australian involvement in World War I recounts, “For Australia, as for many nations, the First World War remains the most […]

Australia and the Great War

November 24, 2012 in War by francis

Sub tuum Presidium papyrus 250-280 AD — Since many modern readers will be unfamiliar with them, we hope you will find it useful to have several posts and links about this and other prayers and expressions in the book. The Sub tuum praesidium may be the oldest Christian prayer dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, with this Greek […]

Sub tuum praesidium

November 24, 2012 in Prayers by francis

In A Distant Prospect, several characters travel out to Mascot airfield to watch Bert Hinkler arrive after his record-breaking flight. Here you can listen to Australian aviator Bert Hinkler recounting the incidents of his solo flight from England to Australia in February 1928. Recorded at Homebush, Sydney, Australia, in March […]

Bert Hinkler – Incidents of my England to Sydney Flight ...

November 7, 2012 in Aviators / Bert Hinkler tagged Bert Hinkler by francis