The Forgotten Pearl (26 page)

Acknowledgements

When my family spent eighteen months travelling around Australia, we stayed about three months in the Top End of the Northern Territory, including Darwin. During this time, we stayed on vast, remote cattle stations and visited some incredibly beautiful places. As well as the sheer beauty of the Territory, we were overwhelmed by its history. Despite studying Australian History at university, I had very little knowledge of the bombing of Darwin during the Second World War and how widespread and lethal the Japanese attacks on Australia were. It was this adventure that inspired me to write the story of Poppy.

A huge thank you goes to my intrepid husband, Rob, for introducing us to many of the Second World War historic sites in the Northern Territory, from airstrips, bomb craters and bunkers to the deeply moving Adelaide River War Cemetery where over four hundred Australians who died defending our country are buried. The youngest
was only sixteen years old. Also buried here are civilians such as Iris Bald and her parents, along with the other post office workers and thirty-one Indigenous Australians whose death was due to enemy action. Among these is Daisy Martin, a part-Aboriginal servant who died in the first bombing attack on Darwin.

A big thanks to my daughter Emily for being, as always, my first and most enthusiastic reader.

I am so lucky to have a brilliant publishing team, with an incredible passion for books, who work tirelessly through weekends, holidays and late into the night. A huge thank you to Pippa Masson, Dorothy Tonkin, Nina Paine, Nanette Backhouse and Sarana Behan, but especially to Zoe Walton and Brandon VanOver. You are truly wonderful!

Writing this book required much research, including reading letters, diaries and memoirs by Australian nurses, children and women evacuated from Darwin, soldiers and POWs, as well as articles from newspapers and magazines such as
Army News
,
The Sydney Morning Herald
and
Australian Women's Weekly
. Some of the books that I found invaluable were
Australia's Pearl Harbour, Darwin 1942
by Douglas Lockwood;
Singapore and Beyond
by Don Wall;
Olive Weston: The heroic life of a World War II nurse
by Peter Fenton;
No Place for a Woman
, the autobiography of Mayse Young;
Heroic Australian Women in War: Astonishing tales of bravery from Gallipoli to Kokoda
by Susannah De Vries;
Ut Prosim
, a history of Wenona School by Denise Thomas (which included stories of school life during wartime and anecdotes of their inspirational headmistress, Miss Ralston);
Brave and Bold
, a history of Manly Village
Public School by John Ramsland;
An Awkward Truth
by Peter Grose; and
Australia's Greatest Peril 1942
by Bob Wurth, which included the story of a young Manly boy who spotted the Japanese spy plane. As always, there are family stories and reminiscences told to me by members of my own family, including Lee and Jan Murrell; my mother, Gilly Evans; my father, Jerry Humphrey, who spent several months as a veterinarian working on Northern Territory cattle stations; and my great-aunt Clarice, who told me stories of her brother Aubrey Jones, an Australian soldier taken as a prisoner-of-war by the Japanese. He had his leg amputated in a POW camp on the Burma Railway. It was Auntie Clarice who told me the story of the Vegemite used as paint. Jenn Wall – your lemon cake is truly inspiring.

Finally, for everyone who loves my books, thank you!

About the Author

At about the age of eight, Belinda Murrell began writing stirring tales of adventure, mystery and magic in hand-illustrated exercise books. As an adult, she combined two of her great loves – writing and travelling the world – and worked as a travel journalist, technical writer and public relations consultant. Now, inspired by her own three children, Belinda is a bestselling, inter nationally published children's author. Her titles include four picture books, her fantasy adventure series, The Sun Sword Trilogy, and her six time-slip adventures,
The Locket of Dreams, The Ruby Talisman, The Ivory Rose, The Forgotten Pearl, The River Charm
and
The Sequin Star
.

For younger readers (aged 6 to 9), Belinda has a new series, Lulu Bell, about friends, family, animals and adventures growing up in a vet hospital.

Belinda lives in Manly in a gorgeous old house overlooking the sea with her husband, Rob, her three beautiful children and her dog, Rosie. She is an Author Ambassador for Room to Read and Books in Homes.

Find out more about Belinda at her website:

www.belindamurrell.com.au

BOOKS BY BELINDA MURRELL

The Locket of Dreams

The Ruby Talisman

The Ivory Rose

The Forgotten Pearl

The River Charm

The Sequin Star

The Sun Sword Trilogy

Book 1: The Quest for the Sun Gem

Book 2: The Voyage of the Owl

Book 3: The Snowy Tower

For Younger Readers

Lulu Bell and the Birthday Unicorn

Lulu Bell and the Fairy Penguin

Lulu Bell and the Cubby Fort

Lulu Bell and the Moon Dragon

Lulu Bell and the Circus Pup

Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle

Lulu Bell and the Tiger Cub

Lulu Bell and the Pyjama Party

Lulu Bell and the Christmas Elf

Lulu Bell and the Koala Joey

Lulu Bell and the Arabian Nights

The Ivory Rose

Jemma has just landed her first job, babysitting Sammy. It's in Rosethorne, one of the famous Witches' Houses near where she lives. Sammy says the house is haunted by a sad little girl, but Jemma doesn't know what to believe.

One day when the two girls are playing hide-and-seek, Jemma discovers a rose charm made of ivory. As she touches the charm she sees a terrifying flashback. Is it the moment the ghost was murdered? Jemma runs for her life, falling down the stairs and tumbling into unconsciousness.

She wakes up in 1895, unable to get home. Jemma becomes an apprentice maidservant at Rosethorne – but all is not well in the grand house. Young heiress Georgiana is constantly sick. Jemma begins to suspect Georgiana is being poisoned, but who would poison her, and why? Jemma must find the proof in order to rescue her friend – before time runs out.

A CBCA Notable Book

OUT NOW!

The Locket of Dreams

When Sophie falls asleep wearing a locket that belonged to her grandmother's great-grandmother, she magically travels back to 1858 to learn the truth about the mysterious Charlotte Mackenzie.

Charlotte and her sister, Nell, live a wonderful life on a misty Scottish island. Then disaster strikes and it seems the girls will lose everything they love. Why were the sisters sent to live with strangers? Did their uncle steal their inheritance? And what happened to the priceless sapphire – the Star of Serendib?

Sophie shares in the girls' adventures as they outwit greedy relatives, escape murderous bushrangers, and fight storm and fire. But how will her travels in time affect Sophie's own life?

Shortlisted for the 2011 KOALA awards

OUT NOW!

The Ruby Talisman

When Tilly's aunt tells her of their ancestress who survived the French Revolution, she shows Tilly a priceless heirloom. Tilly falls asleep wearing the ruby talisman, wishing she could escape to a more adventurous life . . . 

In 1789, Amelie-Mathilde is staying at the opulent palace of Versailles. Her guardians want her to marry the horrible old Chevalier to revive their fortunes. Amelie-Mathilde falls asleep holding her own ruby talisman, wishing someone would come to her rescue . . . 

Tilly wakes up beside Amelie-Mathilde. The timing couldn't be worse. The Bastille has fallen and starving peasants are rioting across the country. The palace is in chaos.

Tilly knows that Amelie and her cousin Henri must escape from France if they are to survive the Revolution ahead. But with mutinous villagers, vengeful servants and threats at every turn, there seems nowhere to run. Will they ever reach England and safety?

OUT NOW!

THE RIVER CHARM

When artistic Millie visits a long-lost aunt, she learns about her family's tragic past. Could the ghost girl Millie has painted be her own ancestor?

In 1839, Charlotte Atkinson lives at Oldbury, a grand estate in the bush, with her Mamma and her sisters and brother. But after her father dies, things go terribly wrong – murderous convicts, marauding bushrangers and, worst of all, a cruel new stepfather.

Frightened for their lives, the family flees on horseback to a hut in the wilderness. The Atkinson family must fight to save their property, their independence and even their right to stay together. Will they ever return to their beautiful home?

 

Based on the incredible true-life battles of bestselling author Belinda Murrell's own ancestors, the Atkinsons of Oldbury.

OUT NOW!

THE SEQUIN STAR

Claire finds a sequin star among her grandmother's treasures. Why does she own such a cheap piece? The mystery deepens when the brooch hurtles Claire back in time to 1932.

Claire finds herself stranded in a circus camp. The Great Depression has made life difficult, but Claire befriends performers Rosina and Jem, and a boy called Kit who watchesthe show every night.

When Kit is kidnapped, it's up to Claire, Rosina and Jem to save him. But Claire wonders who Kit and Rosina really are. One is escaping poverty and the other is escaping wealth – can the two find happiness together?

OUT NOW!

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Version 1.0

The Forgotten Pearl

ePub ISBN 9781742753706

Copyright © Belinda Murrell, 2012

‘We'll Meet Again' (H. Charles/R. Parker)

© 1939 Dash Music Co Ltd.

For Australia and New Zealand: EMI Allans Music Australia Pty Ltd. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

A Random House Australia book

Published by Random House Australia Pty Ltd

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www.randomhouse.com.au

Addresses for companies within the Random House Group can be found at
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First published by Random House Australia in 2012

National Library of Australia

Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Author: Murrell, Belinda.

Title: The forgotten pearl [electronic resource]/Belinda Murrell.

ISBN: 9781742753706 (ebook)

Target Audience: For primary school age.

Subjects: World War, 1939–1945 – Australia – Juvenile fiction.

Children.

War and families – Australia – Juvenile fiction.

Dewey Number: A823.4

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eBook production by
Midland Typesetters
, Australia