Jack's Island (15 page)
Jack was a very real boy, based on my father, and his experiences growing up with his family on Rottnest Island off the coast of Western Australia in the 1940s. Although
Jack's Island
is a work of fiction, all the sites of Jack and Banjo's adventures exist and many remain largely unchanged since World War II. My grandparents, Norm and Nell and their children, Jack, Rob, Norma and Rayma lived on the island through those troubled times. I thank them for allowing me to plunder our family folklore for Jack's adventures and for overlooking the liberties I've taken with historical times, places and events.
My most sincere thanks and love go to Jack, of course, for sharing his memories and for his unflagging enthusiasm, and to my ever-stylish and charming mother, Barbara, who helped with the Rottnest exploration and research.
Thanks to Cate Sutherland, my wonderful editor and publisher, for her eagle eye and ever so gentle scalpel, as well as Tracey Gibbs, Ray Coffey and all the talented staff at Fremantle Press.
The Rottnest Island Volunteers and the Rottnest Island Authority staff were all so kind, knowledgeable and generous with facts and stories when I lived on the island whilst writing the story, especially Sue Fox and Nardia Katich.
For their friendship and encouragement, especially in the early stages, I'm grateful to Allen Newton, Dr Glyn Parry, Mich Gillespie and my brothers Ian, Bruce and Colin.
Thanks also to Elspeth Adair, David Lean and John Mills for inspiring Dafty, and to John Ford and John Steinbeck for so clearly setting the tone of the times.
Gratitude especially to David Turton, who set me on a wondrous course and whom now, sadly, I cannot ever thank properly.
Jack's Island
is Norman Jorgensen's eighth book following on from his popular comic novels
A Fine Mess
and
Another Fine Mess 002
and his award-winning and poignant picture books
In Flanders Fields
and
The Call of the Osprey,
both illustrated by Brian Harrison-Lever.
Norman and his wife Jan have been slowly restoring an old Federation house near central Perth, and they live surrounded by tools and paint tins, but also by books and old movies. They enjoy travelling and Norman's love of history has resulted in a large collection of photographs he has taken while roaming among the castles, cathedrals and battle grounds of Europeâthe sites that make the past so exciting.