Her story: Great-grandmother's journey reimagined in fiction
Wollongong author Gwen Wilson reveals the inspiration for her debut historical novel, 'Louisa'
While writing my best-selling memoir, I Belong to No One, I discovered that my great-grandmother, Louisa Whitley, born in Bradford, England, in 1854, represented the last legitimate birth on my mother’s side of the family.
Louisa’s migration to Australia was unknown to her descendants until my research shed light on her story.
Uncovering her resilience, especially through her 1890s divorce and its aftermath, allowed me to better understand our intergenerational trauma. What was once perceived as a negative legacy became a source of empowerment; Louisa’s strength inspired me to retell her journey as fiction.
As an avid researcher, I was immersed in family history long before the internet era. Australia’s rich archives offer plenty to investigate. Birth, death and marriage records were only a start.
I consulted shipboard diaries, letters – such as those from the governesses of the Female Middle Class Emigration Society – books on funerals in the Victorian era, governesses, divorce. I visited national and state archives and museum depositories, and I practically lived in the newspapers digitised by the National Library of Australia on Trove.
Field work is important also. I once climbed in a vintage wooden free-standing wardrobe just to confirm there was room to hide in there. The main challenge is knowing when to stop digging and deciding which findings to include. Much of the book draws from true events. Ultimately, Louisa’s own experiences shaped my narrative choices.
Rather than crafting a conventional romance, I wanted to capture the authentic experiences of Louisa and other women of her time – grappling with servitude, poverty and discrimination. Louisa lived in a society where women were regarded as men’s property, with little agency over their own lives. They had minimal parliamentary or legal influence in the 1800s.
My goal was to highlight their courage and perseverance in overcoming societal barriers, contributing to a richer understanding of Australia’s cultural history and the pivotal role women played in shaping the colony.
Gwen Wilson will be in conversation with fellow author Suzanne Leal at the launch of Louisa on Friday, May 29, at Links Seaside by Warrigal, Wollongong, starting at 2pm. Book through Eventbrite
