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Following a shipwreck of a vessel headed to Sydney, Ellen Hammond is stranded with three men on the Gippsland Coast. In the night, the men are murdered by a group of Aboriginal men but she is spared and brought back to their camp.
The perspective switches to Ellen's husband, Tom Hammond, who insists to the police captain on coming along to search for Ellen, who has been leaving "E.H." scratched into trees. They track the group of Aboriginal people and creep up on their camp before storming it. In the confusion and chaos, a shot is let loose against the orders of the police captain. Ellen is found beside the fire - dying, from the fired shot. In the aftermath, the captain is certain that it was Tom Hammond himself who fired the bullet that ended up killing his wife, but they decide to keep it quiet, believing that Ellen was better off dead after what she had experienced.
Notes
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Not to be confused with the 1897 story of the same name by Mary E.B. Howitt.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Literary and Artistic Versions [of the White Woman Legend]
2001
single work
criticism
— Appears in: The Captive White Woman of Gippsland: In Pursuit of the Legend 2001; (p. 204-246) Discusses some specific nineteenth century accounts of the 'White Woman' and also makes connections with contemporary works.
-
Literary and Artistic Versions [of the White Woman Legend]
2001
single work
criticism
— Appears in: The Captive White Woman of Gippsland: In Pursuit of the Legend 2001; (p. 204-246) Discusses some specific nineteenth century accounts of the 'White Woman' and also makes connections with contemporary works.
- Gippsland, Victoria,