Cover of anthology of stories by Duncraig students 2010

The Duncraig Senior High School Anthology has moved into production stage. After much deliberation by the staff of the English Department the final selection of stories has been made from the hundreds submitted on the three topics, ‘Other Worlds, Other places’, (Yr 8) ‘Friends and Foes’, (Yr 9) and ‘Electric Eyes and Ears: a view of the world through technology’ (Yr 10). The students worked and re-worked their stories and came up with some very innovative and interesting ideas.  Congratulations to those whose work has been chosen. They can be very proud of their achievement.

For those in Years 8 and 9 who missed out this time around, hopefully there will be another opportunity next year. But for now we look forward to the finished book, professionally edited, printed and bound. It will not be long before we can sit down with a real book in our hands and read the exciting, scary and often insightful stories that the students have produced.

Meanwhile Rose de Freycinet continues her arduous voyage with the exciting prospect of a feature film in the wind! Stay with her …

The well dug by Anderson's men in 1826

In 2006 I was captured by a pirate. No, I was not sailing a luxury yacht in Somalian waters. Or visiting a film set in the Carribean. I was on a routine visit to the West Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle. There, while innocently walking around the whaling exhibit and writing in my notebook, Black Jack Anderson leapt out and grabbed me. There was no escape. He took me first to King George Sound, then to Middle Island and held me captive until his story was told.

Now administered by CALM as part of the Cape Arid National Park, Middle Island is still essentially the same as when Black Jack Anderson and his mate, John Bathurst, arrived there in 1826. Within a year others living on the wrong side of the law had joined them. They built a hut and sank a well, then proceeded to live, mainly on seals which provided food, oil for heating and lighting and skins for bedding and clothing. But they were pirates after all and passing ships were fair game.

Middle Island is just six nautical miles from the tip of Cape Arid and in the early nineteenth century, when maps and charts of the region were very basic, ships from England and Europe, bound for Hobart and Sydney, crossed the Indian Ocean with the Roaring Fourties then hugged the southern coast of New Holland until they reached Bass Straight. The Recherche Archipelago stretches like a chain across this shipping route so it was very difficult to navigate in the dark. The pirates on Middle Island only had to wait for a ship to anchor for the night in one of the many sheltered bays in the area before coming up under the stern, just on dusk, in their eight metre whaleboat. Swiftly and silently they would jam the ship’s rudder with a specially shaped wedge. With the ship immobilised the pirates would board her, overpower her crew and make off with whatever they could find in the way of money, jewellery, stores and equipment. It was said of Anderson that he could disappear into the Southern Ocean with the speed of a westerly breeze. But when the nineteen year old Dorothy Newell struggled ashore, with other survivors of a shipwreck in Thistle Cove, the location of the pirate camp was no longer a secret and everything changed.

Black Jack Anderson was hated and feared by many, but inspired love and loyalty in others. Certainly he was a complex character and he captured my imagination.

Black Jack Anderson by Elaine Forrestal, Penguin, Melbourne, 2008.

Photographs of Middle Island can be viewed in the Black Jack Anderson Book Trailer at

http://www.youtube.com/writingwa

Middle Island from the granite outcrop

Miss Llewellyn-Jones Goes to Town in The Place

There has been a dramatic transformation, in recent years, within the State Library of Western Australia. No longer simply a fabulous place for researchers and students of roughly adult size and shape, the mezzanine floor has been turned into the most vibrant, colourful and interesting Place for kids. Big ones, little ones, even middle aged and older – there is something there for everyone. Step out of the lift or walk up the stairs. Cross the bridge and open the gate. Enter the world of children’s books with stories, illustrations, art and craft activities and live performances. As well as dress-up clothes, puppets, books and games for children to use there is a weekly Story Time. Art and craft activities are organized regularly and in the mid-year school holidays a very professional children’s opera entertained and encouraged participation from a huge audience.

Then, last Friday, Miss Llewellyn-Jones and Teddy appeared. With the scooter safely parked in the underground car park they went upstairs where a whole row of shops had been set up in The Place. She and Teddy did all their shopping, Teddy was lost and found and even the little girl got her horse back – with the help of members of the audience who dressed up, became the characters and performed the play Miss Llewellyn-Jones Goes to Town. 

The Place is also home to the Peter Williams Collection. Put together over many years by Peter Williams, the collection contains original artwork from Australian illustrators, in particular those who have been represented in the annual Australian Children’s Book Council Awards. What a treasure it is! And congratulations to the State Library on their foresight, imagination and commitment to future generations of readers young and old.

Black JAck Anderson was launched by the Premier of Western Australia, Alan Carpenter.

No, this does not mean that Black Jack Anderson is now selling rum in his own virtual tavern.

It does mean that our very own pirate could now come leaping out of e-readers anywhere in the world. I must say I was surprised when I opened up my latest bundle of Royalty Statements and found one with a string of zeros right across all the columns: Opening Balance 0, Stock Received 0, Closing Balance 0, and the word ELECTRONIC to describe the type of binding. I immediately contacted my publisher, Penguin Books Australia, and yes, Black Jack Anderson is now an eBook. That makes three – and counting.

For more information contact http://www.penguin.com.au