From Convict to Politician

Mary Lou Simpson

In order to assimilate, some ex-convicts changed their name, some told lies and others locked their past away. William Henry Groom faced this problem as he forged a new life in early Toowoomba, where he went into business, fell in love, married and had children. Ultimately, his wife and older children had to also carry the burden when he became a politician. Groom spent 38 years in the Queensland parliament, which he steadfastly believed could create a just society. He was a man of ideals and passions, who lived by the pen. Travel with him as he builds a new life.