September 20 - 26, 2023
Guiding a story home By SIMONE KERWIN
◆ SHARING STORIES: Author Helen Edwards’ fascination with the story of Mount Buffalo and guide Alice Manfield led to the creation of her middle-grade novel set on the mountain.
ADELAIDE author Helen Edwards was out driving during a break at her family’s Yorke Peninsula beach shack when, by chance, she heard a caller on ABC radio talking about visiting Mount Buffalo with his family. The discussion took in the Mount Buffalo Chalet, and history including ‘Guide Alice’ Manfield, who led tourist treks on the mountain in the early 1900s and was an accomplished naturalist, writer and photographer. Helen was immediately captivated by the story, and as soon as she could, googled Mount Buffalo…and felt the makings of a novel begin to percolate in her mind. “There was all this information about Guide Alice, about the First Nations people, the Bogong Moth and the gatherings held on Mount Buffalo,” she said. “I spent a lot of time researching, and then my main character turned up and told me her story.” The result was ‘The Rebels of Mount Buffalo’ (Riveted Press), Helen’s first middle-grade novel, which will be launched at the Mount Buffalo Chalet on October 11. Helen began writing the time-slip story in 2021 after receiving a grant from SA Arts to help fund a trip to Mount Buffalo; however, with borders shut due to COVID-19 restrictions, the visit was delayed. “I was lucky to be able to speak to Guide Alice’s granddaughter, and get some great stories from her, and also to connect with Andrea Rowe, who was communications manager at the chalet in the 1990s, married a ranger, and lived on the mountain,” Helen said.
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