When recently widowed Felicity Barclay made a spur-of-the moment decision to apply for a waitressing position at Wolfram Camp, a remote north Queensland mining town she had never heard of before, she never expected to form friendships with four other women who would change her life.
Set in 1917, Women of Wolfram Camp follows the lives of five quite different women in the rapidly growing mining town of Wolfram Camp. The demand for wolfram created by the war has led to an influx of businesses and people, and the town battles to meet the demands as its young men continue to enlist.
This is the story of Felicity, the new waitress; Matilda, the owner of the Court Guest House; Ethel, the baker's wife; Mary, a laundry maid; and Nancy, an artist trying to cope with an absent husband and three small children. The women form a close bond that helps them manage their daily lives while husbands and sons are away fighting. It is a poignant glimpse into the challenges women face in a remote mining town and their fierce resilience boosted by strong friendships.
While a work of fiction, Women of Wolfram Camp is set against real events of the time, and includes some of the real residents of the town. It brings to life a vibrant town that is no more.