Chrissie, your novel has been described as ‘gritty’, ‘dark’ and ‘violent’…
Sure, the teenagers in the story are surrounded by violence. Times were hard then. Marvellous Melbourne wasn’t marvellous for everyone in those days.
Lonnie and Pearl are hard done by and they live on the edge, but their hearts are in the right place and they show a stoic resolve in rising above the dangers.
When Carlo's ready for some payback, Lonnie won't take revenge. He also takes no for an answer from the girls, Daisy and Pearl. The characters generally try to look out for each other. Lonnie remembers his parents’ guiding words and tries to live by them, although in hindsight, sometimes not as successfully as he wishes.
There is a strong sense of community, caring and kindness for each other in the neighbourhood. Look at Auntie Tilly, Lonnie's mum, Mr Salvadore - they're decent and kind. Daisy tries seeking adult advice and help from people like Miss Selina and the phrenologist, Alfred Postlethwaite.
The point is the characters try to look for answers; they don't give up. Lonnie and Pearl, Daisy and Carlo don’t succumb. They survive the violence all around them. In my mind they’re survivors, not victims.
Does Little Lon really exist?
Yes.
It is the name for an area of laneways and alleys bound by Little Lonsdale, Spring, Lonsdale and Exhibition Streets in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria (Australia). The State Library of Victoria has a good map of the area on its website. These days, many of the alleys have been built over, but you can still find the remnants of Casselden Place. No. 17 still exists.
Are the archaeological digs and the artefacts you write about in the novel real or imagined?
In Lonnie's Shadow is a work of fiction, but it does draw on many historical details for inspiration.
The first archaeological excavation in 1987-88 uncovered about 17,000 items. These are now part of Museum Victoria's Department of Social History. It is worth visiting their website.
In 2002 there was another dig at Little Lonsdale Street and Casselden Place. For more information about this dig you can visit Heritage Victoria's site at: http://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/archaeology/casselden_place/
Clay pipes, Frozen Charlotte dolls, bone hat pins, other jewellery, bottles, coins and tokens, jars of ointment, a spur, to name a few used in the novel, are all objects found in these archaeological digs. If you get a chance to visit Museum Victoria's exhibition, do go. Around 500 000 artefacts have been uncovered from the digs.
Cumberland Place existed although it has now been built over. Recently I was speaking to a woman whose mother spent her childhood there, and went to the Catholic primary school at the end of the street, believed to be the last school set up by Mother Mary McKillop, Australia's Catholic saint. From the reminiscences told to me, the family could have stepped right out of the novel.
A single house can still be seen in Casselden Place. At the time of the redevelopment of the neighbouring site, I was lucky enough to be invited inside.
The larrikin gangs, rescue brigades, illegal horse races existed.
The mace went missing from Parliament House in October 1891 (thought to be an inside job). People claimed to have seen it in a local brothel. Two theories have been that it was melted down or thrown into the Maribyrnong River. Anyhow, it has never been found.
What about the characters?
As real as any fictional characters ever are.
In the 1840s and 50s, mainly immigrants from Ireland lived in Little Lon. By the end of the 19th century it was home to many people from different cultural backgrounds. Some residents were Chinese, Italian, Syrian and Jewish. They formed a resourceful community, running businesses, often small cottage industries, such as cabinet makers, clothing manufacturers and printers. They lived alongside the more notorious businesses like the brothels.
So my characters' archetypes were certainly found amongst the people who lived in Melbourne at the time: the Italian ice cream entrepreneurs; the notorious madams, such as Mother Fraser and Madame Brussels who are the basis for Annie and Mrs B; the rescue brigade workers. Selina Southern was inspired by Selina Sutherland. We owe Berry Street Child Care to her hard work and the commitment she showed to caring for the neglected children of Melbourne. The Salvation Army came later in 1897 and did some wonderful charity work in the area.
While the phrenologist, Alfred Postlethwaite did not actually exist, phrenology was very popular in the 19th century. This was a way of reading the bumps on people's heads as a way of finding out their personality. Ever heard anyone say 'He/she needs their head read'? I wonder if this remark came from the phrenologist readings. Sometimes phrenologists came to local schools and read a student's head in order to work out what sort of job the child should go into. Sir Robert Menzies who became an Australian Prime Minister wrote about a phrenologist visiting his primary school, but that's another story...
If you have any other questions you would like answered about the novel, please email Chrissie at
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