Empty Beds

A collection of short stories of the Allan and Darby families. Very family specific. Not applicable for general readership.

James Allan and his wife Mary packed up, left Ayrshire, Scotland in 1852, and travelled to the other side of the world. They arrived in Melbourne (Australia) in December 1852. An adventure on the goldfields filled their pockets with enough money to buy a small farm in country Victoria.

James Darby left Norfolk in England in 1852, and travelled with two cousins to the same goldfields as James Allan. Both men settled in Lancefield.

Based on the author’s family history, the stories in this book tell of struggles, of early deaths, of successful businesses, of the heart-breaking sadness and momentous joy many families experience in the journey through life.