28 chapters, approximately 107,000 words and 6 years in the making, 92 year-old Peter Crocker, resident of Coffs Harbour, has written an Australia historical fiction novel based in the early 1900’s.

Mr Crocker and his wife owned and managed a bookshop in Sydney for ten years, only further growing his passion for reading and increasing the urge to write his own novel. Below is an extract of Mr Crocker’s letter to the publishers describing ‘Wages of Honour’.

‘The novel follows the story of a fictional character, Gordon Spence, a young lawyer, and champion amateur horse rider who, at the age of 25, arrives in Sydney as an immigrant in June 1884. The adventures and tragedies of Gordon’s life in Australia are described against the background of the history of the first fifteen years of the now Royal New South Wales Lancer Regiment, the longest serving regiment in the Australian army and the forerunner of the legendary “Australian Light Horse”. Gordon plays an important part in the early history of the Regiment.’

‘Well researched accounts of the action of the Lancers engagements with the Boers during the Boer War from 1899 to 1900, especially those of “Fighting Twenty-Nine” of which Gordon was a fictional member. Many of the members actually serving at the time are mentioned.’

‘The novel is rich in detailed descriptions of Sydney and Parramatta, their buildings and environs, well known historical identities and brief accounts of political and social events affecting the Colony at the time.’

Village Manager Sandra, has recently started to read the novel and is finding it hard to put the book down. Speaking to Mr Crocker, you can hear the passion in his voice and it is truly inspiring.

He stated, “Writing it wasn’t hard, researching it wasn’t hard, the hardest thing is to get it published”. I truly hope book makes its way to the shelf and online, as it is truly worth a read.

Mr Crocker well done, Ingenia Gardens is proud, especially Coffs Harbour!