David Prior
Emerging Writer & Historian
New Release
Mariners on the Margins
(2025)
A history of the sealing mariners in the Antipodes.
Dive into the untold stories of the southern Fishery during the colonial era (circa 1790–1840), where mariners braved perilous waters to carve out a living in the sealing industry. This manuscript unpacks the fascinating world of diverse maritime individuals who forged partnerships with Indigenous peoples, navigating survival through shared efforts across the vast Antipodes.
A story that stays
Stone Carver
(2022)
The Life and Times of Franco Vallario.
This inspiring biography tells the rags-to-riches story of a 90-year-old sculptor and stonemason. From a poor Italian immigrant who narrowly escaped death three times to achieving success in the Lucky Country, it's a testament to resilience, talent, and triumph.
Coming to life
Framing the Future
(in development)
The enduring legacy of the Awabakal leader and the missionary.
Discover the remarkable partnership between Awabakal chief Biraban and Evangelistic minister Lancelot Threlkeld. Together, they defied colonial hostility to become interpreters, conciliators, and chroniclers, preserving the Awabakal language for future generations.
About David Prior
David has always been interested in history.
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He studied ancient history at school before matriculating to study arts and law at Sydney University.
At university David continued to foster an interest in history but chose to complete his law degree and pursued a career as a business commercial and family lawyer. In that regard, David founded 2 more practices on the Central Coast region of New South Wales and successfully managed and operated those practices for a number of years. However, his thirst for learning more about the history of the modern era led him to undertake a complete a Masters’ degree from the same university in 2012.
His thesis which he completed in 2011, was entitled: "Pirates Slave Traders Savages or simply misunderstood? Colonial Imagination of the Sealers and the Frustration of Authority."
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Since then, David has continued to undertake a significant amount of research looking mainly at Australian colonial maritime history and as an outcome, recently completed two books.
David has reviewed three books on maritime subjects and his
reviews have been published in The Great Circle, a journal of the Australian Association for Maritime History.
Behind the scenes
David has recently been granted a residency at the Lighthouse
Arts Centre at Nobbys in Newcastle.
Beyond his love for history, David is an avid photographer and an enthusiastic field hockey player. For peace of mind, he turns to yoga and meditation
