Sarah's Search

In 1874 a woman established an enterprise high on the eastern slopes of Mount Alexander in Central Victoria. Its purpose was to grow thousands of mulberry trees, to feed silkworms, produce silk, and train women in the silk industry. This is a must read account of the efforts of one pioneer woman to establish a silk industry in Australia. It moves from Corowa on the Murray River, to Kings Domain in Melbourne and Mount Alexander in Central Victoria. It includes Switzerland, France, Portugal, Italy and Great Britain. It tells of the passionate resolve of widow, Sarah Florentia Bladen Neill, who had the vision for her country and the courage to fight for it. Hers was a mammoth effort and her story, never before told, deserves a prominent place in Australia's history. "This is the fascinating story of a bold attempt of a woman to start an Australian silk industry, and it is about time it was told." Michael Cannon, Historian