William Fenton McCulloch developed a farm on Maria Island between the years 1904 to 1922. Today, his old farm is a key landmark and a favourite stopping place for visitors to the island, although few people would have heard of William McCulloch, let alone realise the part he played in shaping the cultural landscape. Kathy Gatenby's talk will provide insight into a man who struggled to find his path in life. He was a drifter, a soldier and a Jesuit scholar before choosing to live a simple existence on Maria island where he farmed 'in the manner of Virgil'.
Inspired by an adventurous childhood in some of Tasmania’s most beautiful and remote places, including Maria Island, Kathy Gatenby is a researcher and storyteller, specialising in the area of thematic interpretation, a valuable tool that provides a deep and meaningful connection to place. She has post-graduate qualifications in cultural heritage and has a particular interest in stories that explore how people shape places, and in turn, places shape people. She is the author of a Tasmanian biography, 'Viv and Hilda: Meeting the Robeys of Maria Island' (2011), has written for local and national magazines, and delivered a range of presentations on place-based interpretation.