Historical Fiction Showcases Australia’s Early Years

Historical Fiction Showcases Australia's Early Years

– ‘Beyond All Seas’ is historical fiction, tracing the adventures of George Tamsill, a young shipbuilder from Whitby, who is unjustly accused of smuggling. George is transported to Australia on the Second Fleet. His experiences on HMS Guardian and the transport Neptune are based on historical fact, as is his time at Rose Hill.

Given a pardon by Governor Phillip for his efforts to save the Guardian from shipwreck, George establishes a small boat building yard in Sydney. He builds a cutter and with four other ex convicts sails it back to England. These events, the adventures of his return journey, and his revenge on those who accused him are fiction but could have happened.

Romance, adventure and history blend to provide a lively tale of Australia’s early years.

John Lambert was a teacher of history who began writing historical fiction when he retired. He has now written a number of historical novels. His stories provide the opportunity to show how the past influences the present and how history illustrates the best, and the worst, of human behaviour. While the characters in the stories are mostly fictional, their actions are based upon the historical context. The events either did happen or could have happened. History is about people; fiction and history combine to make believable and interesting studies of human achievement.