I wrote “Black Wattle” as I wanted to read a fiction story centred on group settlement life, and it did not exist.

 I have a strong connection to the South West, as if the Blackwood River runs through my veins. My parents brought me up on a farm in Warner Glen, east of Karridale, near Alexander Bridge, in the Augusta Margaret River region. I remember visiting friends of my paternal grandmother, whom she had met while living on Group 75, Warner Glen. I would listen to their conversations and fell in love with the past. 

I was named after my maternal grandmother's sister, Margaret Johann Ellis. My great, great-grandmother also bore the name Johann. She married William Moriarty in 1851 and lived in Bridgetown with him. Their youngest daughter, my great-grandmother, Mary Angela Moriarty, married John Ellis from Augusta in 1890. They went on to have thirteen children, living at Runner Hill in Boranup and later in Augusta.

Angela's daughter, my maternal grandmother, Violet Ellis, had ten sisters. My many great-aunts lived interesting lives, and their stories are a never-ending source of inspiration. Violet loved sharing stories about her extended family. She taught me that who we are depends on the people we've come from.

Our farm  bordered the Blackwood River and I spent my childhood swimming in its cool waters. I attended school in Margaret River, then went on to university in Perth. I graduated with an arts degree and a diploma in education. I taught in several towns in the south west, including Harvey, Albany, Busselton, and Mandurah. I taught English and Drama.

In 2010, I moved to England with my husband, and we settled in North Yorkshire, close to the city of York. After retiring from teaching, I completed a Master in Creative Writing (Hons.) at York St John University in York. I returned to Western Australia in 2020.

While in England, I looked into my father's mother's (Alice) family history. The Tapps  lived in Sussex for centuries. I often wondered why Alice decided to leave England.  Emigrating was a big decision, especially with no safety net or family to fall back on if they failed to make a living. I discovered she had a troubled  life in England, one that held a secret. This secret forms the basis of my novel, “Black Wattle." 

 My grandfather William David Patmore kept a written record about his experiences in Australia. He was a reliable source when I wrote about life as a 'groupie.'  My father was born in Karridale in 1926 and farmed the original group block at Warner Glen with his brother Peter.  He shared his love for the Australian landscape with me.