“I think it was a book I was meant to write”: Albany author Dianne Wolfer launches The Last Light Horse

Acclaimed Albany children’s author Dianne Wolfer has a new book on the shelf completing her historical fiction series with a story she says was “meant to be written”. The Last Light Horse is the fourth instalment of The Light series that tells the tale of an Australian war horse. There were 136,000 Australian horses sent to fight during World War I and only one came home. The Last Light Horse tells the extraordinary story of Sandy, the only returning Australian war horse from World War I. It explores military history from the high country of Victoria to the desert sand of Egypt to the waters off Gallipoli and the battlefields of France. Ahead of the book’s official launch, Wolfer sat down with Inspire outside Albany’s historic town hall to discuss her latest story. “Animals bring a different aspect of war time for younger readers, considering war is a difficult topic,” she said. The first book in the series Lighthouse Girl offers the story of Breaksea Island’s lighthouse keeper’s daughter Faye Howe who represents those left at home during the war. Light Horse Boy reveals the story of two boys who discover the brutal realities of life on the front line and the third book In The Lamplight is from a nurse’s point of view. Wolfer said The Last Light Horse was different from its predecessors by exploring the human and animal connection in more depth. “I was really interested in the rawness of grief that the soldiers (go through), of course losing their mates is terrible, but there was that different level of grief when they talk about their horses and having to leave them behind,” she said. “To them it felt like betrayal.” The book will be launched by Wolfer’s author friend Deb Fitzpatrick from 2pm on April 2 at the town hall. Wolfer said it would be a “celebration of Albany” with Parklands School students performing two live entertainment pieces based on the book. The book’s illustrator Brian Simmonds returns in this instalment and his work will be on sale at the launch. Wolfer said she believed The Last Light Horse was destined to be written, it was only a matter of when. “The idea was in my mind galloping around for a long time but I was working on other projects and never got back to it,” she said. “Since writing it I’ve discovered weird synchronicities, I think it was a book I was meant to write.” Albany connections in the book include the fact that Sandy’s hoof was imprinted on a hill at the National Anzac Centre. The Desert Mounted Corps Memorial light horse statue atop Mount Clarence was also modelled off Sandy. “I didn’t even realise and I walk my dog up there all the time,” she said. Another connection is the fact that Sandy’s owner Major General Bridges’ great-great granddaughter Tracy Bridges lived in Albany. Wolfer said it was Major General Bridges’ “dying wish” that his favourite horse Sandy would come back at the end of the war. She said this book was more challenging research-wise and shaping a book around a horse with little history recorded. “This one was really hard, there’s only so much a swishing tail and tossing mane can convey,” she said. Wolfer has made “imaginative leaps” while drawing on true factual history to tell the story of Sandy through the four important men at different stages of his animal life. “It’s a story that resonated with people and is just a really important Australian story,” she said.