Historical epic White Ghosts is set against the tumultuous background of Brisbane's founding, a saga of three generations of the Petrie family spanning one hundred years.
Newspaperman Thomas Dowse once dubbed Andrew Petrie the "father of Brisbane" for his role in establishing the town. Besides being the architect/builder of some of Brisbane's fine old buildings, Andrew was an accomplished explorer. Eldest son John became the city's first mayor in 1859 while Tom - the town of Petrie was named after him - is well known as a pioneer and for his intimate relationship with the Aboriginal people of south-east Queensland. Tom's daughter Constance recorded his experiences and knowledge in "Tom Petrie's Reminiscences of Early Queensland", a work widely recognised as an authority on Aboriginal customs and culture.
In 1824 felon Sean Kelly arrives at Moreton Bay as part of a contingent of soldiers and convicts to establish a penal colony. Local Aboriginal tribes face a dilemma: resist or succumb? Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, Andrew Petrie witnesses the massive fire that destroys a large section of the city.
From the wilds of Moreton Bay to the streets of Edinburgh and Sydney, from the southern goldfields back to the notorious penal colony at Brisbane this gripping tale explores the notions of payback, resilience, survival, love against all odds, the clash of cultures and reconciliation. The novel also examines relationships between blacks and whites on the violent Queensland frontier.
While White Ghosts is fiction, deep down it is a meticulously researched, moving history of early Queensland.