Sara Powter

Sara Powter worked with her mother, Sheila Hunter, to research their family history. Through this, they discovered many wonderful Australian Colonial stories from the four Convicts they found in their tree.

Sheila thought the stories were too good to forget, so she penned an Australian Colonial Trilogy, which Sara had stories printed after Sheila died in 2002. But there was another story unfinished.

In the first twelve months of writing in 2020-21, Sara had two books ranked #1 in their genre. Jointly written ‘Dancing to Her Own Tune’ and Sara’s ‘Amelias Tears’ shot to almost instant success. The stories are raw but not graphic and were inspired by aspects of the convict’s background in the author’s family history. (Initially, the assignment of convict women was unvetted, and the poor girls often were taken as unwilling bedwarmers, many victims of rape – which, believe it or not, was not illegal, and the girls were often returned to prison if they fell pregnant.)

Sara now continues the retelling of the convict women’s lives. Weaving fact with fiction to tell of the amazing and intrepid souls who worked together to make our wonderful country the fabulous place it is today. These convicts turned adversity to advantage! Stolen from the arms of loved ones in England. They worked and were rewarded with ‘Tickets Of Leave’, each becoming some of Parramatta’s and Emu Plains’ leading citizens. Like many of the untold convict stories, there was often faith behind them. Their strong Christian Faith was taught to each generation.

She writes, “Over 200 years have passed since the first arrival of our family on this beautiful but rugged shore. Each day, I come to love it more. Lee Kernaghan’s song “The Odyssey” sums it up! This country’s got a hold on me! I will never regret that my ancestors came as convicts! I’m proud of that!” Although they were ripped from their loving families’ arms, never to return, they learned to love life in Australia and what it offered them. All were sent for very petty crimes. The early difficulties made them strong and resilient but determined to do their best for their family! Here, in this lucky country, those pioneers grasped the opportunities offered and succeeded in making a wonderful life for their children.

The retelling of Charles and Sal’s story was initially inspired by John Ellison and Sarah Watkins’ story. They were my GG Grandparents, along with Joseph Huff and Amelia Harlow. They regularly attended St John’s church in Parramatta. Without their faith and example of Christian love, their own children and grandchildren may have followed different paths.

In 1814, a convict transport called the ‘Wanstead’ arrived carrying a cargo of female convicts. Two were Mary Amelia Harlow and Catherine Lattimore. They were cell mates and later assigned to men two doors from each other in Windsor. Seven generations later, their descendants married, us.

Sara is married to Stephen Powter, a retired Anglican Minister. She loves to fish and he to surf, so you may well see them travelling up and down the Pacific Coast of the Eastern States of Australia in an old caravan with rods and surfboard boards under their 50+ year old tinny! They live on the Central Coast of NSW.

NB The spelling in the books is Australian /English.