Tall Poplars: Tales from Tasmania’s fabled River Derwent Valley

Tim Hurburgh’s Tall Poplars: Tales of Tasmania’s fabled River Derwent Valley provides a fascinating fresh take from the murkier days of Van Diemen’s Land through to today’s picturesque Apple Isle. Stories of extraordinary stoicism, heroism and entrepreneurship but, painfully also, violence and shocking betrayal. It is a Technicolor vision with images by Matt Sansom, of Tasmania and its Van Diemen’s umbra seen through the eyes of an author who lives there.

Tim grew up on the Derwent River north of Hobart, across the water from the estate that all Tasmanians know today as internationally celebrated private art museum MONA. He is an architect and published poet from a sailing family who arrived in Hobart in 1826, Tim’s perspectives told with heart and humour expose the fissures and folds of the Island’s exotic terrain. This collection of short stories is his second book.