Central Coast author Sara Powter’s latest book, I Can’t Stop Tomorrow, follows the fate of John Moore who like many other Irish men and women left his homeland and settled in Australia.
Fleeing the Irish famine of the 1840s, Moore made a new home at Avoca Beach.
Powter, a prolific author with 18 published books and another 10 in the pipeline, was born on what was John Moore’s farm at Avoca Beach.
This book is mainly set in Avoca Beach on the original land grant in 1840 to John Moore, although he actually moved there in 1830.
“I have known about him all my life and wanted to know more about his story,” Powter said.
“Dad purchased his land in 1941 on Cliff Ave, 75 years after John died in 1865.
“After researching John, I wanted to tell his story, but I did it as a novel rather than a history book.
“His details are as accurate as I can find.”
Powter has tied the story in with the Irish Famine of the mid-1800s and had the two histories meet with fictional characters.
“There is a love story in this for my characters, but John Moore never married,” she said.
“He left his estate to his cousin Robert Madrell in Braidwood.
“They had been to the gold fields together in the late 1850s and found a decent amount of gold.
“Robert’s stack was buried on his Braidwood property and has, to this day, never been found.”
Powter has been working with conservationist and bushcraft teacher Jake Cassar for more than 12 years in the effort to get Old Sydney Town reopened.
“My passion for this era has spilled over into writing,” she said.
She describes her books as historical biographical fiction, and all are stand-alone historical novels set from the First Fleet to the mid-1800s.