Launceston Historical Society: Jeanette Thompson

Next date: Sunday, 20 September 2026 | 02:00 PM

Jeanette Thompson presents:

On the forager trail of Thomas Jeffrey

Driving along the Forager Trail from Launceston to George Town, one thinks of wineries and gourmet food... but Jeanette Thompson’s research into the career of convict Thomas Jeffrey, suggests a far darker meaning.

With the benefit of archival documents and early surveys, she retraces the steps Jeffrey took from George Town to Rose’s Rivulet, a trail of murders that branded Jeffrey the Monster of Tasmania.

About the presenters:

Jeanette Thompson’s interest in colonial history began with her doctoral research into the Bathurst Rebellion of 1830. She has authored books of oral history, poetry, prose and literary non-fiction. Currently she is recipient of an Australian Society of Authors/Arts Tasmanian Mentorship with the Indigenous Australian poet, Yvette Holt.

The focus of the mentorship is the publication of a collection of Jen’s poetry and prose written in Far Western New South Wales, North-Western Ontario and Northern Tasmania.