The Old Balmain House

Sophie vanished - where did she go? For 100 years nobody knows.

A photo of 8 year old Sophie and an antique perfume bottle are found in the fireplace of an old house.

The story of a Balmain family over 170 years. Finally they uncover what happened.

Set around beautiful Sydney Harbour this is a story of this place and its people, an imagined history from early Australia to the present day

Who was Sophie and what happened to her? On buying an old weatherboard house in Balmain, Sydney, we discover her photo, dated 1900-1908, long hidden, along with a small perfume bottle in an old fireplace. Then we discover that Sophie disappeared with a childhood friend in 1908 and was never seem again, leaving a trail of sadness through generations of her family.

This book tracks the journey of the discovery of Sophie and her family, from their first arrival in Sydney, over five generations of the family, until the mystery is finally laid to rest.

It is a story of loss and grief, mixed with joy, which passes through the successive generations of a family. The way the family deals with unresolved tragedy and finally the way their love transcends time is the story from which the real Sophie emerges.

Graham Wilson, the author, lived in the house in Balmain around which this story is based for seven years, before moving to Millers Point. This is his first novel.

Graham has previously written a family memoir, “Children of Arnhem’s Kaleidoscope” which describes his childhood, growing up in a aboriginal community in Western Arnhem Land. This is also available from this site.