A LONE pine tree has inspired Chelsea author Lyn Duclos to ensure the history of Norfolk Island, a remote Australian island in the South Pacific Ocean, is remembered for generations to come.
Her new children’s book While I Can Still Remember … Norfolk Island has a neat conceit as its central story idea. Duclos decided to write from the point of view of a 650 year-old Norfolk Island pine, situated on a limestone cliff on Norfolk Island to recount the island’s history including the former British penal colony located there in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
“I realised it was a really, really old tree and each time I went there I thought to myself ‘if only you could talk – you’ve seen Captain Cook sail past and you’ve seen the penal settlements and everything else happen in front of you and yet you can’t talk about it’,” Ms Duclos said.
“The reason I picked that tree is it is in a watercolour painting painted in 1835 in the book and it’s always been there – it’s like a sentinel almost. The point that it sits on is at the point of a very safe bay where most people swim. It’s striking because it’s out there on its own and it’s a survivor whereas the British settlements almost decimated all that area of trees.”
The lone pine must pass on its knowledge of history on Norfolk Island to a young sapling because its memory is failing and the future of all pine trees is at stake.
The author teamed up with illustrator Zozie Brown who sketched out 16 colourful illustrations published throughout While I Can Still Remember … Norfolk Island.
“We did it all by email and a couple of Skype sessions. I met her about a month ago. She was great and the illustrations are excellent.”
Getting into character as a tree made some think she may be barking mad, Ms Duclos admits.
“It was really hard because I realised I had to use the voice of a tree. I picked a moment when there was no-one around and put my arms around the trunk. I was a tree-hugger and I don’t normally hug trees.
“I was standing with my head against it trying to feel anything and a blasted bus came up with tourists so I sort of pretended that I dropped something.”
The author interviewed several islanders to research the island’s history for the book including a direct descendant from the mutiny on The Bounty.
While writing the book she forwarded completed chapters to a Brisbane school for feedback from her target reading audience. Students at the school drew pictures based on historical events portrayed in the book.
Ms Duclos hopes the book can be read in schools across Australia and has entered While I Can Still Remember … Norfolk Island for possible inclusion on the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge list.
“It fits really neatly into the nationwide year 5 history curriculum which is ‘colonies of the 1800s’ … so I am hoping to get it into schools,” she said.
See lynduclos.com.au for further information. The book is $29.95 in print and $9.95 for the ebook.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 17 February 2016
1 Comment
Recently read ‘While I Can Still Remember … Norfolk Island’ and was much impressed with the quality of the writing and the illustrations. This is a wonderful concept and a great way to tell a history story – through the long life of a tree!
Haven’t we all wondered what stories a building or a street could tell? A tree is a living entity and I felt myself listening to the creaking of the branches and the groans of the wise old trunk.
I’m sure this story and its illustrations will be a great eye-opener for adults as well as students.
Excellent Lyn Duclos, well done.