The setting of Wombat Valley in The Restored from Ashes series has been inspired by a number of small towns nestled beneath the escarpment on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Locals may recognise that the town of Kangaroo Valley has been a particular inspiration for events in the stories, with its river flowing through the town centre, its old timber bridge, quaint central shopping street, and frequent sightings of Australian wildlife.
A nearby riverside camping ground is one of the places where wombats and wallabies are almost guaranteed to be seen in the evening, as they emerge from surrounding fields to nibble on the freshly cut grass.
The wallaby joey Ember, who is cared for by Ruby in Restoring Hope, was inspired by the painting on the water tank in Kangaroo Valley. Many Australian native animals die each year in bushfires. Young animals, like Ember, are often rescued from their mother’s pouch and cared for by trained wildlife volunteers until they can be returned to the wild or placed in a local sanctuary. It was meaningful to acknowledge this important work in both Restoring Hope and Grace for the Broken in different ways.
Philippa Cleall 