General News
4 June, 2026
Tribute honours Wimmera author's legacy
A tribute event at Horsham Library on Saturday, May 30, brought about 50 people together to celebrate the life and work of the late Wimmera author, Dr Sharon Huebner, and to continue sharing the story of Minang woman Bessy Flowers.
The No Longer a Wandering Spirit Author Tribute honoured Dr Huebner’s work as an author, historian and storyteller, and recognised her collaboration with Ezzard Flowers, a descendant of Bessy Flowers.
Dr Huebner grew up on a farm between Horsham and Warracknabeal and spent many years gathering oral history, connecting families and documenting stories held within colonial archives.
Her sister and event organiser, Tanya Huebner, said the event brought together local community members, Dr Huebner’s family, and descendants of Bessy Flowers, who travelled from East Gippsland.
“It was really good,” she said.
“We had family travel from East Gippsland who were descendants of Bessy Flowers, and they came to celebrate Sharon as an author and also to share their story and reconnect with each other.”
Family members also travelled from Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and across the Wimmera to attend the tribute.
The event included a book reading, a screening of a digital video Dr Huebner made about 10 years ago, and a presentation by someone who worked with Dr Huebner at the Courthouse Heritage Trust in Melbourne when archival letters related to the story were found.
Ms Huebner said attendees valued hearing first-hand about the discovery of the letters.
“Everybody enjoyed hearing that first-hand, as well as seeing the video that Sharon made 10 years ago,” she said.
The book No Longer a Wandering Spirit, written by Sharon Huebner and Ezzard Flowers, tells the story of Bessy Flowers through archival letters, photographs and family history.
It traces Bessy’s displacement from her Minang homeland in Western Australia in 1867 and the continuing efforts of her descendants to reconnect with family, kin and Country.
Ms Huebner said one of the most meaningful parts of the tribute was hearing from people who had come to the event with little or no knowledge of the story.
“I think the highlight was hearing the feedback from people who had come with no knowledge of the story,” she said.
Ms Huebner said organising the tribute took a lot of work, but the response from attendees made the effort worthwhile.
“I didn’t realise the emotion it would generate in other people hearing the story,” she said.
“It was really rewarding, and it has also sparked that drive to continue with Sharon’s wish of having an event for the family in East Gippsland.”
Ms Huebner said literature played an important role in keeping family histories and First Nations stories alive.
“These events and these stories can only be brought to life through literature and having people share that book and pass it on to others,” she said.
