Peter Lalor’s Flag is the epic conclusion to the McGoogly Gang Series picking up from Paul Stafford’s first two novels Ned Kelly’s Helmet and Captain Flinder’s Map.
Things in Milltown are going from bad to worse. A mining company has discovered that the historic village and its water supply are built on top of a massive gold deposit and they’ve won the right to drain Milltown dam, move the town to a less sparkly site and dig a huge open-cut mine. The fortunes of the McGoogly Gang are no shinier. Dad McGoogly is still unemployed, Mum is set to lose her job when the local hospital closes and the boys can’t seem to agree about who should be allowed to use their time travel apparatus. Nige and his new mate Charles Lee want to go back and join Charles’ ancestors who came to the bush from China during the goldrush.
Andrew wants to find an object he can legitimately ‘collect’ and he thinks he’s found it at the Eureka Stockade. Andrew needs help and he’s convinced the whole village is about to be destroyed to satisfy one man’s lust for gold. If it’s true that his enemy’s enemy is Andrew’s friend, does that mean Lester Ragg holds the key to solving all their problems?
Author Paul Stafford works in schools across Australia as a literacy consultant. He is currently creating Australian historical content for delivery via videoconference, ranging from early Chinese activity in colonial Australia to the riches of ancient Aboriginal culture across the continent. Peter Lalor’s Flag is the final in his Australian history trilogy, following Ned Kelly’s Helmet and Captain Flinders’ Map.
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