William Sorell was the third Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land, holding that office between 1817-1824. Initially popular he departed in some disgrace, although some of the instigators of his downfall later regretted their actions. While his reputation has remained high since, Alison Alexander will reveal the murkier side of Sorell's time in the colony.
Dr Alison Alexander is a seventh-generation Tasmanian and an award-winning author who has written numerous historical works about Tasmania. In recent years Alison has investigated the early years of white British and its problems. Alison's awards include the 2014 Australian National Biography Award for The Ambitions of Lady Jane Franklin: Victorian Lady Adventurer and the 2022 Dick and Joan Green Family Award for Tasmanian History for The Waking Dream of Art: Patricia Giles, Painter. Alison has been a long-term committee member of the Convict Women's Press and is a Life Member of the Tasmanian Historical Research Association.