About Victoria Capper
Victoria Capper was born in Quilpie an iconic outback town in western Queensland.
She was educated at The Glennie Memorial school in Toowoomba and went on to the Women’s College within the University of Queensland.
She married a man from the bush and has lived and raised her children there . A short time in western NSW and then many years back in western Queensland.
The map below shows the approximate location of the fictional district of Opal Ridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do you write?
I have read widely all my life and most of the books are by authors from other places and tell about - life in New York; along the Mississippi; tin mining in Cornwall; the highlands of Scotland… I wanted others to have stories about the people and places that I know. Visitors always seem to find our way of life fascinating, and I wanted to see if I could bring it to life in a book, in a series of books. People are seldom indifferent to our life - they either love it or hate it. Obviously, I love it and want to share it.
What did you want to portray with your books?
I wanted to show the great diversity of the people living in, and their different reactions to life, in these isolated places. I chose three men with different personalities, to be able to develop the different sorts of stories I saw unfolding around me over the years. These men were all young boys, growing up in the same district at the same time even though in the distances out there, they lived many miles apart. They were doing School the Air at the same time, going to the same gymkhanas and meeting at the same parties. Each has a completely different personality and life has thrown them unique, specific problems; so, although they came from the same time and place they each have their own individual, fascinating stories.
Can you describe how you use this in your books?
In the first book Opal Ridge, Charles had already decided to leave the troubles of the land and work in the city. He is not outgoing and retreats into himself at any sign of trouble. Bruce, as told in The Governess is a stable chap who completely loves life on the land. He just keeps a steady course without a lot of imagination perhaps, but plenty of good, solid sense. Courting Trouble tells how Tony, the flamboyant, outgoing one, has great personal tragedy. He distracts himself with wild activity, relying on an adrenalin rush to keep his mind off his troubles.The girls in the stories are similar to the people who were around me. There are many young city women who come out into the bush as schoolteachers or nurses, governesses or other jobs. These girls, naturally enough, meet the local young men. Often - love blossoms; quite a few marry and stay in the bush. Sometimes this works like a charm - the girl not only loves her young man but she loves the way of life and settles and thrives. Sometimes the young women love their young man but find they cannot tolerate the life. Although she starts off thinking she can – the isolation, dust, flies... become too much. There are girls who grow up there too of course.
Are your characters based on any one you know?
No. None of my characters are based on any one person I know. Each is a new personality - an amalgamation of many people. I have often read that an author has found that their characters have a life of their own and the author can't always get them to do what they expected them to do. I had thought that was rather weird and probably only occurred with some authors who were particularly fanciful - but I found this has happened to me. My characters definitely take on their own personalities and are as individual as any other person. I feel that I know my characters better than I know my friends because I understand so much more about their thoughts and motivations.
What interests in you writing romance novels?
Romance is part of life, one way or another, for everyone. For good or for bad, once we have adequate food and shelter, young people are interested in relationships. In fact, every age is interested in relationships, but particularly when we are young. It’s as natural as breathing. It would be hard to write about life without taking romance into consideration. I lived with young people, on the property, for so many years and their relationships, with the attendant joys and hopes and heartaches were always on their minds.
Have you been influenced by any authors or books in particular?
I have always read a wide variety of books and I’d be hard pressed to name any one author. There would be so many who have influenced me over the years; for everyone I named there would be many others I’d missed.
Are you planning any more books?
Yes there are many other stories I’d like to tell.
