Originally named Van Diemen's Land, the island changed its name to Tasmania in the 1850s, when it became a separate colony. But the colony was popularly known as Tasmania for decades before its official name change, and for the sake of familiarity, I have used that name here.
A startlingly rich collection of early-nineteenth-century towns, homesteads, and penal institutions are still preserved on the island, and make fascinating visiting for those interested in the past. I would especially like to thank the friendly staff of Entelly House, Clarendon House, Stanley House, and
Richmond Gaol, for patiently answering a multitude of questions, and the owners of the Fox Hunters Retreat, a convict- built coaching inn in the quaint village of Campbell Town, who provided me with an unforgettable experience. The tale of Finnegan's Luck owes much to an amusing collection of reminiscences by Tom Roberts, who once handled troublesome horses for the British cavalry. The tragic stories of the fictional Grimes House and the children stranded aboard the wrecked ketch were inspired by familiar Tasmanian ghost stories, while Lucas Gallagher's escape from a fictional Black- haven Bay echoes similar feats accomplished by more than one Irish convict with the aid of the tyranny-hating American whalers who once plied the southern oceans.
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