The locations used in this book are real places. This includes the Western Australian gold rush town of Mount Magnet, situated along the Great Northern Highway about six hours drive from Perth.

Although farmers had settled in the area since 1878, Mount Magnet was established in 1895 as a mining town. It got its name from a nearby hill that has a very high iron content, which affects compasses. Mount Magnet is the longest continuous goldmining centre in Western Australia, with Hill 50 being the main mine since the turn of the 19th century. These days, however, the mining is in decline and Mount Magnet is mostly a service town for surrounding sheep stations.

There are numerous important Aboriginal sites in the area surrounding the town. About seven kilometres to the north of the town are The Granites, a rocky outcrop with Aboriginal paintings on the granite boulders. Mount Magnet is known for its ‘Everlasting Daisies’ (also called Paper Daisies), which grow for kilometres around the town.

As a child, legendary Australian cricketer Bill Ponsford (1900–1991) spent his summers in Mount Magnet.