Mattie.: The Story of an Australian Convict Child (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781533458537)

SHEILA HUNTER (née McDonald) 1924 - 2002 Sheila was born in New Zealand. Her parents were Australian originating from Ballarat in Victoria. Sheila met Norman Hunter in 1955 and they married a t then end of that year. Sheila's life turned around. No more nursing, but motherhood and local village care as resident district nurse, although this was unofficial, she was called out on many occasions. After marrying Norman, Sheila took on many positions in the community, i.e. Secretary of the Liberal Party Branch; Secretary of the inaugural Red Cross Club; Convener of the inaugural 4H Club (like Junior Farmers); Local Girl Guide Commissioner for 4 years from 1967 and with Mr Peter Patton, was responsible for getting the local Scout/Guide Club being built; & Inaugural Vice President of the Bowling Club in Avoca. At 77 years of age, she was still heavily involved with the Community and also family life, she was still a well known and loved figure in the Avoca Village when her second & final bout of Cancer struck. She was also involved the setting up of the 'Rumbalara' Environmental Centre in Gosford, hand drawing insects and their life cycles for posters for children to study. She found life a challenge and gave her entire life to the help and care of others. Sheila was also one of 20 NSW recipients of the Premiers Senior Citizens Award in 1999. It was the International year of the Senior Citizen. She was overwhelmed by this accolade. Her dream was to see her novels published and leaving finished but unedited manuscripts to her daughter Sara asked to see if she could do it for her. Sheila died from secondary Brain Cancer (Melanoma) on 24th September 2002 just 2 days before her 78th birthday. She had a passion for history and also for genealogy working, with her daughter Sara from 1968 in tracing down many missing ancestors and their stories. 'Mattie' is a fictitious story based on many of the stories she discovered whilst doing her research. The Manuscript of Mattie was mostly finished (although unedited) with only two chapters needing to be completed. Sheila had no convicts in her own family, but her husband did - four of them, and one whom was actually Baptised on board a Convict ship on the way out here, so she tied the convicts and the Victorian Goldfields together and 'Mattie' was born. This is the one of three stories of the time, each picking up a different aspect of life in the early Australian Colony.