The Van Diemen's Land Thespian

By Tj Lovat

A vivid story of two pioneers of Australian theatre

In 1833, Samson Cameron sailed into Hobart Town with his new bride, the acclaimed actress Cordelia Bouchier. It was a town on the up, with a would-be high society, religious leaders jockeying for dominance, convicts toiling to erect grand sandstone buildings, and a pub on every corner.

What followed was a life of entrepreneurship, intense hard work and love, in one of Australia's great theatrical partnerships. From staging shows in taverns to opening Hobart's Theatre Royal, from Hobart and Launceston to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, from success to financial ruin and scandal to success again, this novel imagines the life of Samson Cameron as he sought fame and fortune in colonial Australia.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1764125460
• ISBN13: 9781764125468
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Ashwood Publishing
• Length: 396 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"