Website of Author, Artist, Academic, Consultant
Latest Release:
Paving the Way
Paving the Way: Pioneer Ancestors from England, Ireland, Prussia and Bavaria to South Australia and New Zealand is my family history set in the social and historical context. It starts off as an adoption story, in search of my biological grandparents, and traces the arrival of the pioneer ancestors who arrived in the Colonies of South Australia (and New Zealand) from 1837 to 1859. Notable ancestors include 3x great grandfather Johann Gramp, Pioneer Winemaker of the Barossa Valley, and 3x great grandfather Malen Rumbelow, patriarch of the pioneer fishing family of Encounter Bay. It includes soldier settler and pioneer ancestors from Norwood, Payneham, Campbelltown, Moorak, Moorook and Minnipa. I also consider the lives of pioneering and significant women in the family (including Mayoress Mahalia Philps) and early recorded interactions with Aboriginal South Australians.
My Story
Welcome to my website!
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I am a writer and author, global and public health academic, policy professional, consultant in the health and human service sectors, keen historian and amateur artist.
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I love telling good stories, especially about little known characters from our past, and discovering what we may learn from them. I have written four books. Three are non-fiction historical biographies, one about a pioneer aviator and two true crime stories. The first is 'The Secret Art of Poisoning: The True Crimes of Martha Needle, The Richmond Poisoner'. The second book written with Les Parsons is 'The Red Devil: The story of South Australian Aviation Pioneer, Captain Harry Butler, AFC' (Wakefield Press). The third book is 'The Rhynie Poisoning Case: The True Crimes of Alexander Newland Lee.' The latter is a sequel to the first book as Lee was the nephew of Martha Needle.
My fourth book, a family history, focuses on early pioneer regions and families that came to South Australia and New Zealand from 1837 to 1859. It includes White/Schulz/Gramp/Fahy/Rumbelow/Miller/Heslop/Heading/Lomman lines, and regions around Adelaide (Norwood, Paynheman, Campbelltown), the West Coast (Minnipa), South East (Moorak) and the Riverland (Minnipa) (see my short story page for stories on characters from the family tree).
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For an author profile, click here.
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I am also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Adelaide University (Stretton Health Equity) and have been a researcher, teacher and advocate for public health. I have a PhD in Public Health (policy) that considered housing for people with a psychiatric disability. I was previously mental health special interest group co-convenor of the Public Health Association of Australia and served (for 5 years) on the District Court of South Australia hearing appeals against the mental health and guardianship acts. I have published numerous academic articles and book chapters in the fields of public health and global health, social policy and sociology. See googlescholar, researchgate.net and academia.edu for my academic publications.
I have undertaken policy, strategy, review, research and evaluation consultancies in the health and human service sectors since 1994. I am available for consulting work and collaborations.
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I live in Adelaide, South Australia, have a passion for travel and have been fortunate to visit 28 countries and lived and worked in Geneva, Switzerland in global health for 3 years, and am a Francophile et aussi je parle en francais (passed the DELF B2 at the Catholic University of Lyon).
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I am also enjoy drawing and painting and have taken short courses in these areas at the Adelaide Central School of Art, WEA and TAFE. See the 'Art' tab or my bluethumb page for more information about my art.
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My Books
The Secret Art of Poisoning
The Red Devil
The Rhynie Poisoning Case
Paving the Way
book reviews
The Secret Art of Poisoning reviews:
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"Samantha Battams has written an engrossing account of the Needle case and set it moreover in the context of a time when vulnerable children - and adults - had little support dealing with abuse and mental illness, with tragic effects...enjoyable and interesting to read and it extended my knowledge not only of the Needle case itself but of social and judicial conditions in late Victorian society in Australia." David Kilner, crime-fiction author
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I thoroughly recommend this book to the reader as a tour de force of history, sociology and legal frameworks which brings to life a day long past with advice and direction for our future considerations. Dr Pamela Schulz, OAM\
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'Battams poignant beautifully crafted narrative is underpinned by a critical understanding of the psychological and sociological intricacies of the period. She explores the complexities of the case to make sense of an otherwise incomprehensible tragedy, simultaneously placing Martha’s personal and family predicament in the context of the communities in which they lived.' Dr Denise George, author of Mary Lee biography
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"Dr Battams has ... thoroughly researched Martha's story and set it against a well-written backdrop describing the impact of social and economic conditions of the time." Frank Review, Goodreads Reader
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"This was a very interesting and detailed read...The story was easy to follow and am looking forward to reading Samantha Battams next book." Lyn, Goodreads Reader
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"Thoroughly enjoyable read! A great insight into the social and economic struggles of the time told through the life experiences of Martha Needle. I particularly enjoyed reading the actual transcript of the trial and the characters surrounding it." Jess, Goodreads Reader
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"Overall, the ‘Secret Art of Poisoning’ is filled with rich descriptions of the life and times of Martha Needle, which immerses you in that world and succeeds in providing you with much richer and complex understanding of her story. A must read for those interested in crime and history." Jonathon, Amazon Reader
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Goodreads reviews
IN THE PRESS
One would have thought that this inhuman monster would have stopped in her awful work of murder...So [through] the patient investigation made by Superintendent Brown, an exceptionally smart detective officer, and Superintendent Whitney, one of his assistants, the cruel and diabolic deeds of this she devil were brought to light.
The Wanganui Herald, 1894
It was called Rough on Rats, a 19th-Century rodent poison that was little more than a box of arsenic coloured with coal. Such was its reputation as a weapon of murder that chemists made their customers sign a purchase book, and each signature needed an independent witness. But Martha Needle found a way to stockpile Rough on Rats....
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The Sunday Mail, 2019
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For MEDIA ARTICLES AND TV, CLICK HERE
UPCOMING TALKS and events
March - Townsend Park Retirement Village, Brighton, 17th March 1.30pm (Books/Author Talk)
April - Indie Verse Book Event, 11th April, 200 Jeffcott Street, North Adelaide
May - Meander Market, Melbourne Street, North Adelaide, 9th May
May - South Australian History Festival, 15th May, 2026, Henley Beach (Book Talk - Paving the Way):
15th May, from 2-3pm, City of Charles Sturt Ngutungka Library. Bookings essential link here.
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