{"product_id":"paddle-steamer-pearl","title":"Paddle Steamer Pearl","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003ci\u003e'ALL ABOARD!' yelled Dad, blasting the whistle. 'FULL STEAM AHEAD.'\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePearl wound in the mooring lines, coiling them on deck. She raced to the stern and saw the wake bend away. She peered inside the paddle boxes, watching the great shaft turn the wheels, churning and splashing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePearl Collins was born in 1911 in Renmark, South Australia. She spent her childhood on the PS\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eAlpha\u003c\/i\u003e, sailing up and down the Darling River trading goods. The Collins family bought and traded in everything from flour and tea to jewellery and wood. They even sold pianos!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis narrative non-fiction picture books follows Pearl, who went on to become the first woman river boat captain in Australia and, for many years, the only female skipper on the Darling and Murray rivers. In particular, a true incident where their boat became stuck for six months mid-river until the rains came.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"font-bold\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAge range 5+\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"font-bold\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"row\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"home-content text-center\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNeridah McMullin\u003c\/strong\u003e writes poetry, picture books, junior fiction and middle grade fiction for children. She studied science at university and worked as a scientist in research and development in the dairy and confectionary industry for 16 years. She is passionate about writing true stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJess Corkran \u003c\/strong\u003estudied and worked as a landscape architect and finds inspiration in the natural and built landscape and its inhabitants. Her passion for nature and how people live within it is reflected in her illustrations and artworks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeridah McMullin, illustrated by Jess Corkran\u003cbr\u003ePublished November 2026\u003cbr\u003eHardback\u003cbr\u003e32 Pages\u003cbr\u003e260mm x 260mm\u003cbr\u003eISBN \u003cspan\u003e9781922507921\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Library of Australia","offers":[{"title":"McMullin Corkan","offer_id":59929030787153,"sku":"2770000185347","price":24.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/6464\/files\/9781922507921-original.jpg?v=1785381429","url":"https:\/\/shop.mhnsw.au\/products\/paddle-steamer-pearl","provider":"Museums of History NSW","version":"1.0","type":"link"}