The Barwell Boy – 2
The Barwell Boy – 3
The Barwell Boy – 2
The Barwell Boy – 3

The Barwell Boy

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A fascinating story of migration from England to Australia in the 1920s captured my imagination many years ago. I had to write it down – so here it is, as a novel inspired by official documents held in the South Australian archives. Based on correspondence between a boy migrant and the immigration authorities, The Barwell Boy follows the adventures and coming of age of Billy: his life, labour and love as an apprentice on an outback farm 700km from Adelaide.

Publisher’s note: a limited number of books were printed with a small ink spot in lefthand margin of page 50. Although the error is only a cosmetic defect and does not obscure any text, we are offering a $5.00 discount to account for this.

Includes FREE standard shipping Australia-wide.

A fascinating story of migration from England to Australia in the 1920s captured my imagination many years ago. I had to write it down – so here it is, as a novel inspired by official documents held in the South Australian archives. Based on correspondence between a boy migrant and the immigration authorities, The Barwell Boy follows the adventures and coming of age of Billy: his life, labour and love as an apprentice on an outback farm 700km from Adelaide.

Publisher’s note: a limited number of books were printed with a small ink spot in lefthand margin of page 50. Although the error is only a cosmetic defect and does not obscure any text, we are offering a $5.00 discount to account for this.

REVIEWS

Sharyn C:

“Really good book, I couldn’t put it down. I read it in a day.”

Kaye L:

“An absolutely brilliant book and well worth the read. So many of these ‘Boys’ made exceptional contributions to South Australia and also Australia during the war years. Many were amongst the first to enlist. Their contributions and those of their descendants deserve extensive praise and acknowledgement.”

Janice G:

“I read your book Lydia and loved it. I recommended it to my sister and she did too. Thank you.”

Patrick M: 5/5

“As both reader and writer, and with a fair knowledge of the places, times, events and history you covered in the prologue and first two chapters, Chapter 3 came completely alive for me and I was totally engrossed, hugely enjoyed the entire story at all its many levels right through to the end of Chapter 30.  Not a book to put down.

Then the epilogue – I just did not see it coming. That last line left me stunned and quite shattered. That was a few weeks ago, and I still can't get it out of my mind, partially I guess because of my own migrant experiences, but in the main because you took the book to exactly the right place to end it – and then used the epilogue to such devastating effect."

Elizabeth B:

“This is a good read of the life of a Barwell Boy. Very strong young men they were.”

Jill, Good Reads: 4/5

“This was a fascinating story of a part of Australian history I did not know much about. Written from diaries and letters, it told the story of a young English boy who yearned for adventure and ended up in the dry dusty plains of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia as part of the Barwell Scheme, a program named after the instigator (the Premier of the state at the time) who needed to replace the thousands of South Australians who had died in the war. Highly recommended for those who love personal insights into history. This particular young man was unfortunate that he was given to a farmer who had no time for an inexperienced person, even though they were supposed to be apprentices and given training. His ups and downs are sometimes hilarious and you get a real feel for the place and mateships that formed. He was a daredevil, impetuous and fiery which didn't make for an easy life.”

Lewis, Good Reads: 5/5

“Raw but poetic, the Barwell Boy is a beautiful story about an important, but barely explored corner of Australian (and English) history. Would highly recommend for anyone who loves brilliant fiction with a healthy dose of historical education!”