Diary of a Prodigal

Tommy Rourke wasn't really a bad type of boy. The son of a former Irish convict and having spent his childhood with the local Dharawal tribe meant he was just a bit different - in a "wild sort of way" as put by his headmaster. The abrupt termination of his schooling at the Sydney Academy was more to do with safeguarding the school's reputation than any real concerns over the physical safety of the English heritage youths he was in dispute with.

Being cast into the adult world of the British penal settlement in New South Wales in the early part of the nineteenth century was both exciting and challenging for Tom. Conflicts abounded between settlers and natives, freemen and those from convict stock, English and Irish as each sought to retain their identity and secure a future in the developing nation.

Within these turbulent times, a young Tom Rourke had to fight his own personal battles. He too struggles with change as he moves from teenager to adult. Tom quickly learns about prejudice and acceptance, while the bonds established during his idyllic boyhood are severely tested. Tom's natural athleticism wins him admirers and acclaim in the illegal prize fights organised by Sydney's military, however, there are bitter lessons to be learned about love, family and his own values once he moves beyond the confines of his insular existence into the world beyond.

Set in the period 1819 to 1824 'Diary Of A Prodigal' follows the life of a free-born colonial from his rebellious teenage years in Sydney to an awakening of his true self in Ireland before he returns to establish his own destiny as a pioneer settler in the new nation of Australia.