Light on the Rocks by Helen Edwards

In 1859, fourteen-year-old Daisy is travelling on the SS Admella from Adelaide to Melbourne, when the steamship is wrecked on a submerged reef near Cape Banks, in what became known as one of Australia’s worst maritime disasters. A century later, siblings Max and Rosemary spend their summer holidays at Cape Jaffa Lighthouse, perched on a reef, five miles out to sea, where their father is head keeper.

As they unravel the secrets of the past, an accident leaves their father and the assistant keeper injured, and Max and Rosemary are left to care for them while keeping the lighthouse burning.

Set across two timelines, connected by place, mystery, and magic, A Light on the Rocks is a haunting tale about survival, self-belief and the wild beauty of the sea. With a ghost horse, a singing whale, and real events woven through the narrative, this is a masterful maritime adventure that brings the almost-forgotten history of the SS Admella and the Cape Jaffa Lighthouse to life.

Author Helen Edwards was awarded a mid-career fellowship with the South Australian State Library, supported by Writers’ SA, along with a grant from the South Australian History Trust, to research and write this beautifully crafted tale.

About the Author: Helen founded an award-winning charity and online counselling service, supporting thousands of people with diabetes across the world (for which she was a state finalist in the Australian of the Year Awards). She is an engaging speaker, has been featured on television, radio and in newspapers, and has close to 100,000 followers on social media.

28 Jan 2026
 

A Light on the Rocks by Helen Edwards ISBN 9781764007191