Jim Booth

Dust and Ashes Jim Booth

When two brothers started prospecting in the Palmer River goldfields, they could not have expected that their startling discovery would unravel a mystery that had been hidden for over 100 years. Their quest was taken up by the curator at the Cooktown museum, whose detective work soon uncovered the real facts behind their find. In the 1870's, after an unexpected family tragedy and the end of his relationship with his childhood sweetheart, William Harrison headed to the goldfields to seek his fortune. Over the next few years, not only did he have to overcome the treacherous conditions in the Palmer River goldfields, he also had to face his one great fear that followed him since he was a child. In spite of this, he soon became a respected business leader in the fledgling community of Cooktown. But no amount of success could have prepared him for the events that were about to occur; events so disturbing, he constantly questioned his faith in God, often quoting from the Book of Job: My life has been but dust and ashes.