Author

Mary Grant Bruce

Born in 1878, Mary Grant Bruce grew up in the Gippsland district of Victoria, near Sale. Much of Mary's childhood was spent on her grandparent's property, which set the scene for her Billabong books. She loved riding and stock work and scorned the girlish pursuits of sewing and cooking. She was also a keen reader, and at seven had already begun writing poetry. From 1910 through to 1942 she wrote a total of 37 children's novels, including the 15 Billabong books, which followed the fortunes of the Linton family, and their friends through war, drought and adventure upon adventure. Mary Grant Bruce was the bestselling Australian children's author throughout most of the years from 1930 to the mid-1950s, and book sales during her lifetime have been estimated at over three million copies. She was enormously popular with children, and was inundated when she made herself available to sign copies of her books at various school and public libraries. George Bruce passed away in 1949, and Mary decided to spend her last years in England, where she lived until her death in July 1958. She was survived by her son, Jonathan and four grandchildren. Her works continue to be read around the world, and they make it a better place.