The Heather to The Hawkesbury

The story follows four Scottish Highland families who, because of the potato famine in the Scottish Hebridean Islands have to emigrate to Australia and start new lives! Mary Macdonald with her husband Murdoch and children; her Brother Fergus and his family; Murdoch's sister Caro and her family; and cousins Alec Fraser and his family. They are sponsored at 3 per head by the Clan Chieftain, in this case it was Lord Macdonald. They settled in New South Wales Australia and learnt how to carve a new life for themselves. They learn new farming skills and a new way of Life. Our Highlander characters did not have to face the scary scenario of being forced out of their huts like others in their country, but due to famine and lack of work they had to leave. Many of their family had to stay behind in Skye. It was a fearful and sad time. The Clan Chieftains, called Lairds, subsidised the fares through the Highland and Island Emigration Society, for the clansmen to travel to either Canada or Australia. This story brings them to the Hawkesbury River area west of Sydney, Australia. It follows some of the families through four generations in this new land and new home. The Heather to The Hawkesbury is based loosely on fact and is typical of what many of the Scottish emigrants would have had to face.