Through Silent Country is a journey of discovery and testimony which began when Carolyn Wadley Dowley stumbled upon a small reference to a remarkable escape story. Although at first it seemed faint, she set out to follow the trace of the narrative back to its origins, in the remote area around Laverton, north-east of Kalgoorlie – Wongutha Country. There, the people she met not only confirmed details of the story, but revealed how it was a part of the many stories which are their history.

The stories of the Wongutha people, and careful archival research, enabled Carolyn Wadley Dowley to traverse the historical silence and piece together a remarkable story of injustice, survival and triumph.