About the Author

Helen Laidlaw was born in Holbrook NSW. Over the years she has studied at Nowra High School, Wagga Wagga Teacher's College, the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, and the University of Tasmania. Helen has worked as a teacher or teacher-librarian in NSW, ACT and Fiji, and as a librarian at the University of Tasmania.

She completed her career as Head of Library at The Scots College in Sydney. Now retired and living in Kiama NSW, she has been able to continue researching and writing Australian history.

Other interests include rainforest conservation, exploring Christianity, playing tennis, and making adventure travel trips to different parts of the world.

Helen and her husband spent over six months in Tonga working as volunteers in 2011. After returning to Kiama, Helen has begun work on another book of Australian history.