Reviewed by Wendy Lipke
Many journalists put their talents to use to write novels, but I doubt few would have attempted the range of genres that Sue Williams has. Her works range across biographies, true crime, travel, non-fiction and historical fiction. Some of her biographies include The Girl who climbed Everest, a shark attack survivor, Dr Catherine Hamlin, and Fred Brophy, The Last Showman, stories about the women of the outback and a story about a group of incredible dancers who achieved against great odds.
In her latest publication, The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress, she goes back to Australia’s early European history. This book is said to be a prequel to her best-selling Elizabeth and Elizabeth and That Bligh Girl, both well received publications. Once again, she highlights the often-silent voice of the women and their significance in history.
This latest story focuses on Philip Gidley King, his ambitions and his role in Australian history before and during the time he became the third Governor of what was then New South Wales. A great friend of Arthur Philip, King was part of the first fleet to Botany Bay. He and Phillip had similar ideas about this new venture and were more humane than others in positions of authority at that time.
Much of the story is about King taking charge of the initial settlement on Norfolk Island and a convict woman named Ann Inett. She felt lucky to be asked to be his housekeeper and later became his mistress. The convict women had little choice so made the most of the situation they were in, never knowing what they might have to face in the future. Ann bore Gidley King two sons, Norfolk and Sydney – his choices.
Things would change when he returned from a trip back to London with a young British woman, his wife.
The story brings to light the justice system in England in the 18th C and the powerlessness of those who were not in the upper class of society. The author provides a detailed picture of life at that time on both land and sea.
Divided into four parts – Banishment, Isolation, Ambition and Power, the story is presented in the third person but alternately from the point of view of each of the three main characters. Each chapter is given an appropriate name and states the character whose life is highlighted as well as the date and location. The first half of the story focuses on King and the convict woman. The wife comes into the second half of the tale.
The reader cannot help admiring the two women and their actions as they try to find a solution to the awkward situation King had created. While he floundered and tried to ignore the situation, they looked for a compromise. The author foregrounds the influence these women had on the decisions made by King. Without their input, his time in control of the new colony would have been as disastrous as that of others in the role.
This is an interesting story, the premise of which fits all the known facts. It is a personal story about people who find themselves in unchartered situations as they try to make the best decisions for themselves and others.
The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress
(2025)
by Sue Williams
Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 978-1-76147-104-9
$34.99; 416pp