Dame Florence is excited. Over-the-moon excited. Why? She is writing her very first book. And it is set in her hometown Melbourne, the capital of the state of Victoria. Dame has gone back to 1864 when Melbourne was emerging on the world stage as one of the greatest cities in the world and one of the most elegant.
Located on the traditional land of the Kulin Nation, Melbourne grew from a small settlement in 1835 to a city in 1847 (raised to that status by Queen Victoria) to a gold-mad metropolis in the 1850s which saw its population expand from almost 80 000 in1854 to140 000 by 1861.
By 1864, the riches from the goldfields had transformed Melbourne into a city of spires and domes 'as comfortable, as elegant, as luxurious as any place' with grand stone buildings such as Parliament House, Melbourne University and Melbourne Public Library (Australia’s first public library now known as the State Library of Victoria) along with churches and schools. The Royal Botanic Gardens had already been established and several theatres attracted world class performers and visitors from around the globe. Melbourne had earned an international reputation and was soon dubbed Marvellous Melbourne.
This is the Melbourne where Lola Chatterley's Lover, Dame Florence’s steamy romance novella is set.
Right now Dame is in Liguria in north-western Italy on a research trip as her book has a link to Liguria's capital city Genova.
Update 11th August 2025: Dame has returned to Melbourne to put the finishing touches to the novella which she worked on during her sojourn in Genova.
Update September 2025: Lola Chatterley's Lover claimed the title of 'Top New Release' on Amazon when it shot up to #1 in Victorian Erotica immediately it was released.