A Partnership Forged in the Wilderness: The Story of Katherine and Roger Scholes

Author Katherine Scholes has published a personal account of her decades-long relationship with filmmaker, sculptor, and woodworker Roger Scholes. The narrative, adapted from her book One Night at Silver Lake, details their initial meeting, subsequent marriage, and collaborative partnership.

Initial Meeting and Background

According to Katherine Scholes's account, she first met Roger Scholes in 1975 in Tasmania. At the time, she was 16 years old and he was 25. Roger Scholes, who had been living in an artist's community in Switzerland, was discussing plans to start a similar community in Tasmania with Scholes's parents. Her father was described as a project facilitator and her mother is a painter.

Following this initial meeting, they maintained intermittent contact. Roger Scholes returned to Europe, while Katherine Scholes began a relationship with a high school acquaintance that lasted several years. During this period, Roger Scholes worked in sculpture and woodworking before renewing his focus on filmmaking.

Reconnection and Development of Relationship

The account states that Roger Scholes returned to Tasmania to work on location surveys for the Australian feature film The Tale of Ruby Rose. In either 1983 or 1985, he invited Katherine Scholes and another individual on a two-day wilderness hike for location scouting.

During this trip, Katherine Scholes and Roger Scholes shared an overnight stay in a trapper's hut. Scholes writes that this event marked the beginning of their romantic relationship.

"I think we both knew that this one night in the trapper’s hut had changed everything."

Marriage, Collaboration, and Family

Following the development of their relationship, Katherine Scholes and Roger Scholes married. Their partnership, which lasted approximately 40 years, included collaboration on books and films. They raised two sons together.

Death of Roger Scholes

Roger Scholes died in the winter of 2022 after a period of ill health. Reflecting on their relationship and his passing, Katherine Scholes offered a poignant reflection on their life together.

"Grief can be a very high price to pay for love. But I’ve never doubted it was worth it."