The next author talk for FOKL

Did Elizabeth Macarthur and Elizabeth Macquarie, two of the highest profile women in the NSW colony in the early days of white settlement, have a friendship?

That question is at the heart of the widely-acclaimed historical novel Elizabeth and Elizabeth, written by multi awarded journalist and author Sue Williams, who will be the next guest of the Friends of the Kiama Library (FOKL).

After 26 non-fiction books, this is Sue’s first novel.

“I love historical research,” Sue says, “but this is the hardest genre to write. Historical fiction is a huge broad brush from one end where the whole story is completely made up but set in an historical era. My book sits at the other end where everything in this book is absolutely true except for one thing –this particular friendship between these women.”

While the ‘friendship’ between these two is a fictional conceit, it would have been very possible and very understandable.

“You kind of think they must have been friends because they would have had few other allies,” says Sue who has an overriding admiration for both women who she sees has having such a huge impact on the fledgling nation.

Despite their husbands being bitter enemies – Lachlan Macquarie was a Governor of the new colony and pastoralist John Macarthur whiteanted every Governor that colony had – the wives attended the same balls, parties and dinners. But because of their husbands’ political divide, it might have been difficult for these two women to pursue a public friendship, Sue says.

They did have so much in common. Both women, who first met in the south of England, had difficult childhoods with broken families. Both were swept off their feet by strong men. In NSW, they worked together on a hay bale project and experienced similar loss with miscarriages, cot deaths and the loss of young children.

“When they came here it was a tough colony, but for a woman (Indigenous person and convict) even tougher. It was a white man’s world. Macquarie took kudos for all he did even though we know Elizabeth was very influential with lots of good ideas and was a talented designer of buildings.

“Elizabeth Macarthur flourished because John was in London for two long periods of their marriage when she took over running the farm in Camden.”

Sue says that with historical fiction, you can’t make things up out of nothing. You have the truth, which is the pillar of the story, then you have to work out people’s motivations and feelings.

“You bring it all to life and put some flesh and blood on the bones of the known historical facts. That’s what I aim to do with Elizabeth and Elizabeth. I managed to convince myself by the end of the book that they had this really strong friendship.”

Sue says she didn’t think she’d ever write another historical novel as it’s such hard work.

“But Elizabeth and Elizabeth did so well, and the feedback was so fantastic. I decided I’d have to do another one and this next one was so much easier.”

That Bligh Girl, which is written about Mary, the daughter of NSW Governor William Bligh (also famous for his Bounty exploits), will be published in May.

To research her historical novels, Sue used the National Library’s free online research portal. But Trove may close in July 2023 unless further Federal funding is found.

“Trove is really useful and becomes more and more useful all the time as more things become digitised,” Sue says. “It would be horrendous if all this stuff is lost or doesn’t keep pace. I would have been lost without Trove.”

Saturday, March 4, Kiama Library Auditorium, 7 Railway Parade 2pm. $8 FOKL members or $10 guests. Afternoon tea included, no booking required. by Perrie Croshaw

Knickerboxers Lingerie are your fitting specialists in the Illawarra

We offer a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with absolute discretion for every woman, including a free home service for breast form fittings

We look forward to serving you soon