National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide

In my WWII historical fiction story, which I am editing at the moment, ready to send to publishers, my main character Ava, takes a difficult journey from Darwin with her mam, after the bombings tear their lives apart. Part of the journey is via train, on the disjointed narrow gauge lines that existed then, from the North to the South of Australia.

Yesterday, we visited the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide for the first time in ages. It was a favourite haunt when our boys were small. I found trains used in WWII for troops and evacuees, which was exciting!

It’s a fantastic place and definitely a must visit in Adelaide if you’ve never been. This is why historical fiction captures my heart. I love delving into a thread of a story from history and finding out more about the past. Once I get an idea, I am lost on the trail of seeking more information about the people and the places of the past and how this can inform our present and our future. Usually, a character or characters then arrive on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, showing me the way to weaving history with fiction.

Helen