A New Kind of Dreaming Characters | ScrollLit Study Guide

Jamie

Jamie is a guarded teenager who hides fear behind sarcasm and silence, even while adults warn him that this is his 'last chance'. His loyalty to Eddie and his uneasy hope for change make him a tense and memorable character.

Cameron

Cameron is a practical, athletic boy who often takes charge and keeps his head when Jamie is frightened. He is loyal, thoughtful and sometimes doubtful, which makes him feel realistic rather than heroic.

Lorraine

Lorraine is the district officer who watches Jamie closely and refuses to be pushed around . She feels caring but firm, and her calm authority makes her one of the most memorable adults in the story.

Archie

Archie is a calm, watchful old man whose quiet authority makes him memorable. He offers Jamie tea, space, and hard-earned wisdom, becoming both a protector and a mystery.

Sergeant Butcher

Butcher is a threatening police sergeant who uses his size and authority to intimidate Jamie. His calm voice hides a need to control people and protect a secret about the girl on the boat.

Robb

Robb is a quiet young constable whose crisp uniform, "mirrored glasses" and chewing gum make him seem tightly controlled and hard to read. He appears loyal to Butcher at first, but the text suggests he is more conflicted than his calm surface shows.

Eddie

Eddie is Jamie’s older brother, and even behind "thick glass" he still feels like the one person Jamie can rely on. His battered look and quiet advice, especially "little brother", make him memorable as someone shaped by prison but still loyal to family.

McPherson

McPherson is the town cop whose drinking has worn him down and made him hard to trust

Mr Scott

Mr Scott is a calm, encouraging teacher who gives Jamie a rare sense of support in Port Barren. He is memorable because he mixes kindness with clear expectations, urging Jamie to stay 'back on task' while still showing real concern.

Doctor

The doctor is a calm, clinical presence in the nursing station. He helps Jamie physically, but he stays emotionally distant, which makes him feel more like a practical guardian than a close ally.

Detective Inspector Swan

Swan is a tired but careful detective inspector who keeps asking direct questions until the facts start to emerge. He feels calm and watchful, with a professional focus on Lorraine, Butcher, and the missing evidence.

Detective Mueller

Mueller is the quieter detective beside Swan, first shown as looking 'pretty tired' after a long investigation. He keeps his questions short and practical, which makes him feel calm, observant, and quietly serious.

Robert

Robert is a British visitor who first appears as a calm, helpful hiker at the pool . His practical kindness makes him one of the few adults who treats Jamie and Cameron with care instead of suspicion .

Susan

Susan is Robert’s girlfriend and the more cautious voice in their relationship. She feels practical and protective, because she thinks first about safety and speaks up when the boys need help.

Jim

Jim is a watchful barman who notices more than he says. His "long, hard look" makes him feel like part of Port Barren’s uneasy atmosphere .

Ambulance officer

The ambulance officer is a calm medical worker who steps in after the violence to treat Butcher and Jamie. Though the role is small, the character helps bring the scene back under control and shows care without taking sides.

Prison guard

The prison guard is a small but memorable reminder of how controlled Eddie’s world is. His brief, 'pointed' attention helps make the visit feel tightly supervised .

Warden

He is memorable as the town’s intimidating authority, always sounding as if he is saying 'Stay out of trouble' when he really means keep quiet. His control and secrecy make him a constant danger to Jamie and to the truth itself.

Jess

Jess is the year-eleven boy who turns the boat into a spooky story by “talking it up” for the younger kids . He is memorable because his showy confidence gives the wreck its uneasy legend and makes him part of the town’s gossip network.

Andrew

Andrew is the "red-headed kid" Cameron remembers as "real fiery" and "always up for a fight," which makes him seem bold and hard to intimidate. His brief role is memorable because he turns a simple dare into a sharper moment of tension, while the mention of "problems at home" hints that his anger may come from somewhere deeper.

Andrew's father

Andrew’s father is remembered as a furious parent who tries to protect his son after the assault. His failed attempt to get McPherson "kicked off the force" shows both loyalty and the limits of his power in Port Barren.

Two year-ten girls

These two girls are a small but telling part of Port Barren’s school community. Their brief reaction to Cameron makes them feel observant, cautious, and slightly apart from the easy confidence he shows.

Cameron's father

Practical and protective, Cameron’s father is linked to a 'desert survival kit' and a car full of tools, which makes him seem prepared and capable

Cameron's mother

Cameron’s mother is a mostly unseen but important presence who represents home, rules and responsibility. Her brief mentions, like 'Mum'll be wondering,' help show why Cameron still feels answerable to family even when everything else is risky.

Jamie’s mother

Jamie’s mother is mostly a memory rather than a full presence, which makes her feel distant and quietly sad. The few details Jamie keeps, especially that she seemed "sad", give her lasting emotional weight and connect him to a family past he barely understands.

Jamie’s father

Jamie’s father is a mostly absent, unreliable parent, described as 'too pissed' to worry properly about the boys. His neglect leaves Jamie with little stability at home and helps shape the independence he is forced to develop.

Refugee girl

The refugee girl is a quiet, vulnerable child whose suffering leaves a strong mark on Jamie. Even without speaking, she becomes a powerful reminder of injustice and the truth hidden in Port Barren.

Interpreter

The Interpreter is a mostly unseen character whose arrival could help reveal what really happened to the girl and the boat. In the story, they matter because their presence threatens Butcher’s secrets and gives the truth a voice.

Flying doctor

A human flying doctor is brought in to help the injured girl and arrange her transfer to hospital. His brief role shows how official help reaches Port Barren, but not in time to prevent the mystery from deepening.

Elliot

The sergeant is the town’s most threatening authority figure, using a ‘cold, emotionless’ stare and harsh words to keep people quiet. He matters because his secrecy and control drive the mystery around the boat and make Jamie’s search for the truth much harder.

Mike

Mike is a nervous young fisherman who is dragged into a terrifying discovery on the dead boat. His fear, silence, and grim obedience to stronger men make him a memorable sign of how quickly courage can fall apart.

Gerry

Gerry is the helmsman who 'spun the helm' and keeps the cruiser steady in a tense, uneasy moment . He feels practical and controlled, a minor but memorable figure whose calm work helps the scene move forward

Immigration authorities

The immigration authorities come across as stern and uncompromising, with the text showing them as 'furious' enough to launch a 'full investigation' . They matter because they turn the boat incident into a serious legal problem and show how dangerous the hidden truth is for Butcher and the girl .

Coastwatch

Coastwatch appears as a distant rescue service rather than a personal character, called in when people need help with the drifting boat. The text makes it feel official and necessary, but gives no individual personality or backstory.

Tour guide

The tour guide is a brief background figure who appears only in Cameron’s memory of the prison museum, where visitors “take you on tours” . He gives the old cells a history that helps explain the story’s uneasy atmosphere .

Malay people

Malay people are one of the voices Archie folds into Port Barren’s "full of stories" history. Their presence matters because it shows the town as a place shaped by many journeys, not just one community or one point of view.

Indonesian people

The Indonesian people are part of Port Barren’s mix of cultures and stories, mentioned by Archie as one of the town’s many voices. They matter because they help show that the novel’s world is shaped by movement, memory, and belonging

White men

The white men are remembered as outsiders who came for 'old rocks' and left once the work was done . They matter as a sign of extraction and temporary power, not as individual people.

Punjima people

The Punjima people are shown as Aboriginal people returning to their ancestral country and Dreaming. Archie uses them to represent belonging, memory, and a settled connection to place.

Kurrama people

The Kurrama people are presented as a group who 'returned' to Country, linking them to memory and belonging. Archie uses them to show that place, ancestry, and 'Dreaming' are central to Port Barren’s history.

Innawonga people

The Innawonga people are linked to "Dreaming", country and return, which makes them feel powerful and memorable. Archie presents them as part of the land’s history of loss, survival and balance .