Marranga Limga is a story set in the early settlement of a gold-mining town in Queensland, Australia. It begins in 1880. It is the story of a young couple's arrival with their small son and the hardships and heartache they share with the community. It is Nika's story. Born on the bank of the Mary River she has a unique path to follow. Child of an Irish miner and a proud Aboriginal native woman, it is her story of identity. In the midst of the town's history of pubs, miners, railway workers, timber carriers, brothels, and conflicts, there is the courage of a people trying to forge not just their present but establish something meaningful for the future. Tom, the travelling evangelist, joins other Christians in this mix of life, living, hardship, and conflict. His story is a journey to find not only a place but his own integrity and purpose.
Marranga Limga is fictional. There is no similarity between any person presently living or now dead. All of the people and even the promise expressed are fiction. The background events have historical accuracy although the flood date was not given because several occurred during a short period. The purpose of the flood event was to bring the story to its climax. Certainly the courage, faith, hope, and tenacity of the Gympie community is truth. Marranga Limga relates to us all-a common desire to forge a meaningful path and the hope for better.
