Bundaberg surgeon and grandmother releases debut novel

A Bundaberg grandmother has swapped the operating table for pen and paper releasing her debut novel inspired by her fascinating family history.

Inspired by family ties and a love of the land Garrow Head tells the story of 19th century Van Diemen’s Land.

While juggling family and work commitments a talented Bundaberg grandmother has drawn on her fascinating family history to release her debut novel which has been 10 years in the making.

Doctor, artist and now published author Annette Tyson released her debut novel Garrow Head this month.

The 200-page historical fiction based in 1800s Tasmania follows the journey of two families as they traverse the wild and dangerous lands of colonial Van Diemen’s Land.

The mother of two and grandmother of two said the 10-year process from inspiration to publication was fraught with delays as she juggled family commitments and her busy medical career.

The medical professional of more than 40 years started her career as a respected GP before she went on to become an assistant doctor in operating theatres.

“The book was a labour of love and one of the most difficult things I have ever done but it is a story I felt compelled to tell,” she said.

The cover of Annette Tyson’s debut novel, Garrow Head, was one of her own paintings.

Inspiration for the novel struck during a holiday in Tasmania where Dr Tyson began researching the history of her ancestor, successful British landscape painter John Glover.

“I started to read his story and history on the time period and there is a lot recorded as he was quite famous,” she said.

“Then in his 60s he moved himself and his family to Van Diemen’s Land and nobody is quite sure why he did that and I thought here’s a really great story.”

While the characters are fictional Dr Tyson said true historical events were woven in throughout the novel.

Garrow Head is available for purchase at the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, Artisans in Bargara, Dymocks and the Book Boutique.

Dr Tyson’s own medical experience and interest in the medical practices of the time inspired one of the main characters; a surgeon.

“The information I found on operations and medications from the time fleshed out the doctor character,” she said.

Dr Tyson said the support of writers workshops motivated her to keep going, and after finally finishing the manuscript and doing several revisions she was ready to release it.

The self-published novel ‘s cover is also her own painting, titled The Lighthouse.

“The lighthouse is from Low Head in Tasmania, and the area has the original pilot station and the area is quite a big part of the first part of the book,” she said.

“Many of the buildings that I described are still lived in and used, and many of the landscapes remain unchanged from the 19th century,” she said.

The book has been on the shelves for a week with positive community feedback, and Dr Tyson is already preparing to head to Tasmania and distribute the book to the land that inspired her novel.

Originally published as Bundaberg surgeon and grandmother releases debut novel