2/9/2024 - Why Bourke?

James and Frances Reed were pioneers of Bourke, arriving there when the town had only one or two completed buildings and staying for the rest of their lives. Each spent more than 30 years in the fledgling town and played their part in its establishment and development. All of their adult children lived there too for a while and most of their 89 grandchildren were born in the district.

But why did the Reed family go to Bourke? What would prompt a middle-aged couple from England, established in Sydney for more than 25 years, to suddenly sell up and move over 800 kilometres onto the frontier of colonial life? How did they convince all ten of their adult children to join this adventure? And how did they all make a living before the town was really established?

These are some of the key questions that I set out to explore in All our tracks and ways. To find out the answers, you will need to obtain a copy of the book, where the middle chapters provide an insight into this important family decision and the aftermath.

You can keep abreast of progress towards publication by "Liking" my author page on Facebook (see link below); or simply by checking this website regularly.