Elizabeth Macarthur (1766-1850) was a formidable woman in the early days of colonial Australia. She arrived in Sydney in 1790 and settled on a large property in Parramatta where she and her husband John bred sheep. John was an ambitious man who hatched devious schemes which saw him engage in power struggles with Governors and sent back to the UK under court martial. Elizabeth stayed behind with some of their children to tend to their business enterprises. She is now regarded as a founder of the Australian wool industry.
Another Elizabeth arrived in the colony in 1809. Elizabeth Macquarie (1778-1835), wife of Governor Lachlan Macquarie, had a keen interest in architecture and the wellbeing of women and children. The Macquaries spent fourteen years in Sydney, transforming the city. Governor Macquarie, the 'Father of Australia', established institutions, supported emancipated convicts, and promoted the exploration of Australia beyond the Blue Mountains.
On the surface, Elizabeth Macarthur and Elizabeth Macquarie would seemingly have little in common. The former was a diligent businesswoman and mother, the latter the First Lady of NSW, accustomed to the refinements that came with the office. Further, their husbands known were enemies with Macarthur undermining Governor Macquarie at every turn. Despite this, the women formed an enduring bond, supporting each other through personal struggles and triumphs. The friendship of these two women is the subject of
Elizabeth and Elizabeth (2021), a novel by Sue Williams.
Mrs Macquarie arrives in the colony somewhat naive. She is uncertain in her marriage, has lost a child and longs for a family. Her husband is busy with his work. She is deeply concerned about the plight of young girls in the colony and builds an institution to support orphaned girls. Over time she encourages the Governor to engage in social reforms.
Mrs Macquarie regarded Mrs Macarthur as a mentor and was in awe of her bravery and fortitude. When they first meet, John Macarthur has gone to England to attend a court-martial for his role in a mutiny against former Governor Bligh. He has taken their sons to England for school, leaving Mrs Macarthur to run the family business. She is excellent at this role, using innovative techniques to ensure the finest quality wool from their large flock of sheep.
There is plenty of tension given the enmity of their husbands, but the two women are determined to not let this get in the way of their relationship. Mrs Macquarie cannot stop her husband's actions, but she can warn her friend. While both women forged paths outside the confines of gendered roles of the time, in their personal lives they both were limited by their husbands and had to find ways around these restrictions.
Told in alternating chapters, Williams wisely chooses to call Mrs Macquarie 'Betsey' and uses first person narration for her perspective. Mrs Macarthur is provided a third person account. This makes the novel easier to read, knowing which Elizabeth we are dealing with. I also appreciated that each chapter heading gave a date to allow the reader to place the story in time.
This is an interesting historical novel and a delightful debut from Sue Williams. I was familiar with Mrs Macarthur's story having previously read Kate Grenville's brilliant novel A Room Made of Leaves (2020) and her compilation of Elizabeth Macarthur's Letters (2022). But I did not really know anything of Mrs Macquarie - other than having been to her chair on Sydney Harbour! So I appreciated being introduced to her by Sue Williams and to learn more about the Macquarie's influence on Sydney. I was intrigued to learn about the Bigge Inquiry and Mrs Macquarie's lifelong attempt to have her husband's influence recognised.
While this is Sue Williams debut novel she is a prolific writer of travel, true crime and journalism (check out her website for details). I am interested in her follow up novels - That Bligh Girl (2023) about Governor Bligh's daughter Mary, and The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress (2025) about Governor King and his complicated personal life. I will be seeing author Sue Williams this month at a literary festival and I look forward to learning more about her writing process.
