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.