My Profile

Dr Sarah Luke is a freelance historian and a History/English secondary school teacher. Her research interests are in nineteenth/early twentieth century institutional histories, with a particular focus on mental health, crime, schools, and biography. A teacher for many years, Sarah is an experienced school programmer besides being a skilled archival researcher. She has published two non-fiction books: ‘Callan Park, Hospital for the Insane’ (2018) which was shortlisted for the 2019 NSW Premier’s History Awards (NSW Community and Regional History Prize), and ‘Like a Wicked Noah’s Ark: The Nautical School Ships Vernon & Sobraon’ (2020); and one middle grade children’s historical fiction novel, ‘Marion and the Forty Thieves’ (NLA Publishing, 2024). Besides these she has also had original research articles published by ‘History Australia’, the Australian National Maritime Museum, the Royal Australian Historical Society, ‘Traces’ Magazine, and ‘Newswrite’. Sarah is an enthusiastic speaker at community events, and has presented her research at NSW History Week, at a range of local history society meetings, and at various bookshops. She is also a tour guide for The Friends of Callan Park.