Book event

Charles Whitham: A Man of Passion – On Foot and in Eloquent Prose – For the Wilds of Western Tasmania  | Simon Kleinig

Charles Whitham’s name is etched into the history and geography of the rugged, mountainous landscape of western Tasmania. Today, four geographical features in the area bear his name, and his oft-reprinted 1924 book on its riches and beauty has become a collectors’ item.

Whitham’s childhood was spent in the exotic lands of northern India. In 1886, his family migrated to Tasmania where, at age 16, he ran away from home to make his own way in the world. He found work as a railway clerk, leading him in 1897 to remote and isolated Queenstown, his home for the next 27 years. Despite personal turmoil, these were years in which he made his mark. He contributed hugely to the civic and cultural life of the town, but it was his explorations of the surrounding rugged landscape and his rich written accounts of his journeys for which he is most remembered.

“…a valuable insight into life and conditions in Tasmania’s west coast mining towns a hundred years ago.” JANET FENTON Author of Win and Clyde

“…a fascinating story of the precocious son of [India-based English] parents who early in the twentieth century penned passionate descriptions of western Tasmania, most notably in his book Western Tasmania—A Land of Riches and Beauty.” NIC HAYGARTH Historian and author of On the Ossie.

Simon Kleinig was born and lives in Adelaide. He has written extensively about wilderness Tasmania. Frenchmans Cap is a subject he has researched and written about for over 25 years, and he continues to do. He is the author of “Jack Thwaites—Tasmanian Bushwalker and Conservationist” (short-listed for the Tasmanian Book Prize); “Rambles in Western Tasmania—articles by Charles Whitham”, (editor) and “Frenchmans Cap—Story of a Mountain”. The last title was revised in 2022 as “Frenchmans Cap —Story of an iconic Tasmanian mountain” (limited edition) and it is to be further revised in 2026. He has also written articles for “Wild” magazine, “Tasmania: Forty Degrees South”, “The Tasmanian Tramp”, “The Tasmanian Historical Research Association”, “National Library of Australia News”, “The Royal Geographic Society of South Australia” and “Wartime” (the journal of the Australian War Memorial).

Simon will be in conversation with Alison Alexander. Alison is a leading and prize-winning Australian historian whose distinguished works include Corruption, Skullduggery, and Land of Rogues & Scoundrels.

Join Simon and Alison at the Afterword Cafe.