Totally Lit: The Hougoumont and The Batavia - Convicts, Mutiny and Love

In Fremantle’s Shipwrecks Museum, surrounded by the echoes of the past, authors Stefanie Koens and Lynsey McDonnell discuss the fascinating West Australian history that inspired each of their novels.

Stefanie Koens’ Daughters of Batavia was inspired by the infamous shipwreck of the Batavia and the subsequent mutiny and incredible stories of survival that took place on the Abrolhos Islands.

Lynsey McDonnell’s Bailey Street took inspiration from the escapades of John Boyle O’Reilly, a Fenian soldier who arrived on the last convict ship to dock in WA, and the love affair he had with the warder’s daughter in Bunbury.

Both novels, each told in dual timelines, examine the enduring impact of history on future generations of Western Australians.

Presented by the artists in association with Totally Lit and the WA Shipwrecks Museum.

Image | Photo of the Batavia timbers in WA Shipwrecks Museum by Andrew Beck