Sandhill Island 1975

Joanna van Kool obtained a Masters in Creative Writing from Sydney University and has been writing in various forms for many years. Inspired by John Sinclair, the man who fought to save Fraser Island from sand mining, this coming-of-age novel is set in the 1970s and is about the clash between those who wish to exploit the island's mineral wealth and those who want to protect its natural beauty. This struggle is interwoven with the lives of three characters: an elderly artist, Jim; a nineteen-year-old local girl, Tracey; and Steve, an eighteen-year-old who has run away from home and is keen to prove his independence. It has been said that Joanna's writing shows a sensitivity towards the natural world, but her dialogue is so real as to be almost heard by the reader.