Michael Cannon was born in Brisbane in 1929. He matriculated at Geelong College at the age of 16, and spent the following decades working on leading daily newspapers including the Melbourne Herald, the Argus, the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. In the 1960s he was founding editor of the Sunday Observer and Sunday Review. His best-selling historical works include The Land Boomers, The Exploration of Australia, and The Human Face of the Great Depression. He also edited the multi-volume State project Historical Records of Victoria from its original volumes throughout the 1980s.

Robert G. Flippen was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1959. He is a 1983 graduate of The George Washington University, and lives near the Vagabond's old mansion in Virginia, USA. His interest in Virginia history has led to publication of six books and numerous newspaper features. ‘Bob' is now Education Specialist for High Bridge Trail State Park, ranked as one of America's Top 20 Destination Parks. He develops and implements educational programs for the Park's nearly 200,000 annual visitors.

Dr Willa McDonald is Senior Lecturer in Media at Macquarie University where she teaches and researches creative non-fiction writing and literary journalism. A former journalist, she has worked in print, television and radio, including for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Times on Sunday, ABC TV and ABC Radio National. Willa's books are Warrior for Peace: Dorothy Auchterlonie Green (2009) and The Writer's Reader: Understanding Journalism and Non-fiction (with Susie Eisenhuth, 2007). She is currently researching the history of literary journalism in Australia.

A neat little trailer appears on Youtube for this book about an Australian 'Dickens'.