The Strange Land: The Strange Land

By Julie Elizabeth Turner

After her parents death, Lillie-Mae is sent to live with her wealthy Aunt and Uncle's home in Victoria (1927).

Unbeknown to her she finds a whole new world and lands to discover......strange lands with unusual looking people and

wonderful magical plants, trees, fruits and stones.

The people need her and tell her that she is the

• Language: English
• Publisher: Julie E Turner
• Release date: Jun 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9780646879543

Julie Elizabeth Turner

First book

Book preview

THE STRANGE LAND

Julie E Turner

First published by Yum Yum Children’s Publishing in 2021

Text copyright (c) Julie E Turner, 2021

Cover design by Yellowhit, 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greatest to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australian) under the Act.

Yum Yum Children’s Publishing

Queensland, Australia

Printed and bound by Digital Print Australia

Dedicated to all the children who have wild imaginations

and who wish to explore amazing and new adventures.

Be uniquely creative and keep on reading!

Thank you to my husband Steve for his continuous encouragement

and to all my family for your love and support.

Most of all I thank God Most High for Everything!

Contents

Chapter 1 A New Beginning

Chapter 2 Running Free

Chapter 3 The Chosen Child

Chapter 4 The Journey Begins

Chapter 5 Different Lands

Chapter 6 Tree Tops

Chapter 7 Unexpected Events

Chapter 8 In The Castle

Chapter 9 First Meeting

Chapter 10 Feeling Confused

Chapter 11 Acceptance

Chapter 12 Uprising

Chapter 13 The Dungeons

Chapter 14 Heart Change

Chapter 15 Restoration

Chapter 16 Celebrations

Chapter 17 Homeward Bound

Chapter 18 Stories and Healing Plants

Chapter 1

A New Beginning

I

t is the 25th of January, in the year 1927 as I sit aboard the Melbourne Express Steam Locomotive . You see I am going to live with my Aunt Molly because my Mother and Father died only 2 weeks ago from Tuberculosis and I am lucky not to have got this terrible disease. I am a young girl of twelve, tall for my age, with long blonde wavy hair, coffee brown eyes and a little turned up nose. My name is Lillie-Mae. I was named after my Grandmother who died just before I was born so I guess her memory lives on in me.

As I lie down next to the window sleeping peacefully, the train comes to a sudden halt. I immediately spring to my feet and almost knock the lady in front of me off her seat.

Sorry about that Ma'am, I say very apologetically.

I feel quite small in front of such a fine lady as this, for she is wearing such a beautiful light blue voile dress which looks soft and sheer with long white gloves covering her slender hands and arms. She has pearls around her neck and a big rimmed red hat with a black feather sticking out of the top. She is the loveliest lady I ever did see. Against my plain white cotton dress with a large pinny in front of it, I know she is quite well-to-do.

The fine lady simply smiles at me sweetly, stands up and walks gracefully towards the carriage door. I look out of the window and see a sign, 'Milebrow' which of course I know is where my Aunt lives, so I pull down my bags and hop off the train. As I stand on the platform I see people walking everywhere in and out of the steam that is coming out from the locomotives funnel. For about five minutes this happens and then there is a break in the crowd and I can see more clearly. A middle aged woman is coming towards me and I guess that it is my Aunt Molly as I had seen a picture of her back home on my Mother's mantelpiece. She is wearing her hair in a tight knot at the top of her head in a very firm but sophisticated manner, her dress is of fine quality, which is expected as she is one of the richest women in Victoria! My father had told me that she married into a very rich family that had made their fortunes from the Gold Mining days as well as owning land that was in her husband's family since the first settlers came. My Aunt did not have any children of her own and her husband, my Uncle, was rarely seen because of his illness.

As my Aunt comes nearer to me, she pulls up her umbrella against the hot morning sun. I can see that she is very tall and she is not smiling and does not seem very happy at all. I decide then that I do not like my Aunt Molly!

Lillie, Lillie-Mae, is that you? She asks in a stern voice. Why, you look so pale and so, so.....skinny. Her eyes look me up and down as if she is trying to work out the difference between a long bean and a human being.

Hello Aunt Molly. Yes that's me, I say in a timid voice, How are you?

I feel like saying something else like, don't you know what I'm going through? I have just lost my Mother and Father, the most precious people in the world to me, but I decide that I won't show my emotions to this person who thinks she can own anyone. She grabs my hand and the gentlemen, who came with her, picks up my bags and we walk off the platform, down a small, dirt path to an automobile. I stop in amazement. I have never before seen such a shiny body, with big black rimmed wheels and a top that can open and close. It even has a golden horn!

She's a beauty, isn't she? Says the man with an Irish tone. I'm your Aunt Molly's chauffeur, Mr Jack Mac Dermot but just call me Jack. Please step inside. He opens the shiny door and ushers me in. The seats are a little hard but softer that the train seats I had been on all night! After my Aunt and Jack sit down in the front of the car, he proudly continues,

She's called the Besst!  She's got a 4-cylinder Lycoming engine all the way from the United States! He starts up the engine which is loud and rattly, with a whirling sound.

She's the King of the Road! He shouts. With that, we are off down the bumpy road.

I find myself gazing at the beautiful countryside as we drive around the winding dirt tracks. There are lovely green ferns, so full and luscious in between the tall gum trees that cover the landscape and keeps the hot sun off of our faces.

After about twenty minutes' drive we turn into a lovely estate where a big sign greets us with the words Hamilton Homestead. We drive up a long pathway, with perfectly trimmed green hedges, that leads up to the homestead. Wow, the homestead looks so very grand! It is a two storey, solid red brick home with two large chimneys protruding from the rooftops which is finished off with ornate eaves and gable ends. There is a white painted balustrade under the verandah that stretches along the front of the home with handrails and stairs that lead up to the main entrance. But what catches my attention the most are the beautiful windows that are stained with striking colours and crafted with patterned glass that give the home a more symbolic appeal.

Oh, Aunt Molly, your home is truly magnificent, I say in awe as we step out of the automobile and start to walk towards the front entrance stairs.

Yes, I suppose it is,  she says proudly. It's seen a lot of people since it was built at the turn of the century. It has been used for the orphans and some of the returned soldiers from the Great War, which I had a hand in looking after. It was a very busy place back then but now it is very quiet, Aunt Molly pauses, then ends with, and that's how I like it! So, my dear, it will be best if you keep out of my way as I have your uncle to tend to and errands to run.

"But who will look after me and will I go to school?' I ask as we step up onto the stairs.

I have organised a tutor to come after the school holidays so for now there will be strict indoor and outdoor times. One of the maids, Miss Adams will oversee you but she will be busy with household duties so you will be expected to keep yourself amused. Oh, here she is now.

As we approach the last step a maid and a tall gentleman appear at the main doorway to greet us.

Hello, Miss Lillie, welcome to Hamilton Homestead. My name is Miss Adams, pleased to meet you she says with a curtsy. Miss Adams is wearing a long black dress which sits just above her ankles and over the top of it, is a pretty floral white apron with a matching little cap on her head. She looks like she is in her early twenties, has quite a plain face but a lovely smile and speaks with a soft Australian accent.

And I am George the Butler, the tall gentlemen says with a posh English accent. He bows slightly in his immaculate tailored suite and proceeds to take the bags off Jack who hands them to him.

Pleased to meet you too, I say with a smile. Miss Adams smiles back with a wink and I think, well at least someone might be my friend.

After Jack leaves to tend to other jobs, my Aunt and I walk into the large entrance room. The entrance room has a beautiful marble floor, a large dresser with ornaments on it, lovely paintings of flowers and mountain scenes  and in the middle of the room is a strong structured wooden staircase that looks like it has stood the test of time.

George will take you to your room. Aunt Molly says, I have an outfit for you on the bed to refresh yourself, then Miss Adams will come and bring you down for morning tea in twenty minutes. With that, she turns to her left and walks through to another room.

I follow the butler up the wooden staircase, down a long passage through to what seems to be the back of the house. Then George, opens a white door, walks in, puts my bags down, bows at me and promptly walks back down the passageway.

I walk into the room and gaze around. It isn't a huge room but bigger than the one I had to share with my parents. My parents, I think, and fling myself on the cast iron framed bed and have a good cry. After about 5 minutes I look up and see a bowl of water and a cloth on a small dresser with a mirror, so I wash my face and pat the back of my neck with the cloth which makes me feel a lot better. I look up and through the mirror see a pretty pink dress with frills on it hanging over the end of the bed. I immediately go over to it, take my old dress off and put the new one on. It fits perfectly and the material is so soft and lovely on my skin as I twirl around in it. I brush my hair and even put a white ribbon in it before the maid, Miss Adams, stands at the door.

My, my, don't you look pretty miss? She says admiringly. " It's time for morning tea so come along now and I will take you downstairs. I bet