local history events

History Week [Online] 2021

From the Ground Up, with author Peter Baker discussing, ‘Side Stepping Shrapnel’

Peter was born and raised in Manly, New South Wales, but has lived in Western Sydney for the past 40 years. With his wife Sandra, they have a family of five children. He studied Law and Arts at the University of New South Wales and was a partner in a Blacktown legal practice for almost 30 years. He has always enjoyed researching and writing, particularly short stories, family histories and historical essays. Having retired he has increased his writing output and is a member of the Lithgow & District Family History Society Inc. ‘Side Stepping Shrapnel’ is his first non-fiction book.

The book examines the deep tradition of Rugby Union in the New South Wales coal mining town of Lithgow at the turn of the 20th century – The young men who dared to play a new game of football – Rugby League; and the World War that engulfed the same men and brought back the survivors to challenge for Rugby League country supremacy. (Baker, 2021)

“Side Stepping Shrapnel” History Week 2021 Talk