Who was the enigmatic ‘Waratah’, author of the Tales of the Golden West, first published in book form in 1906? This collection of stories, each a cultural gem, filled with remarkable characters and memorable anecdotes, captures early West Coast history and pioneer life in the gold rush days on New Zealand’s South Island.
We learn from Jo Wynne that ‘Waratah’ was her great-grandfather William H. S. Hindmarsh.
What brought him to New Zealand? What shaped his life and influenced the man who wrote Tales of the Golden West?
Drawing on W. H. S. Hindmarsh’s (unpublished) journals recalling the first twenty years of his life, his personal letters, and multiple archival sources, Jo Wynne pieces together the formative events in his life, from his birth on Norfolk Island in 1835 to his death in New Zealand in 1919 – and everything in between.
The variety of material, including many firsthand accounts, allows for a thorough and unique perspective on the life of this accomplished man who left his mark in so many ways, and who lives on in New Zealand’s history through the power of his stories.
This accessible and honest book provides a long-overdue biography of ‘Waratah’ and contributes to our collective knowledge about the early years of settlement in Australia and New Zealand.
