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Diane Margaret Burke OAM

1943 - 2011 Di Burke was an extraordinary enterprising publisher who instigated full colour books and educational kits for primary and secondary school children relating to ANZAC Day and the ANZACs. Her first publication was Tom Curran's Not only a hero, a CBCA Notable Book in 1999. During 2001, Mary Small's The Unknown Australian Soldier was followed by Simpson and Duffy, and Vashti Farrer's Walers go to War. Simpson and Duffy was shortlisted for the Australian Awards for excellence in educational publishing for 2003. Feathered Soldiers co-authored by Vashti Farrer and Mary Small was published in 2005, followed by Seek! co-authored by Di Burke and Mary Small in 2009. Di for us was not only a publisher but a valued friend. She will be sadly missed. (written by Mary Small & Vashti Farrer) More information on these publications

Ian Abdulla

Born 1947 - died Saturday January 29 2011, aged 63. Many obituaries have been posted, written and printed. These are just a few. The Aboriginal Art News. The WA Today. From the SA Advertiser, compiled by Judy Miller from newsbank.info. And a transcript of an interview archived on the abc website with George Negus back in 2003.

Ruth Park

Ruth Park (1917 - December 17 2010) was one of Australia's best loved author of books for both adults and children. The Age has an obituary, as does The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald. The National Library of Australian celebrates her life. The Independent has now added their take on Ruth Park's life. [updated March 16, 2011]

Kaye Keck

Kaye (nee Oldmeadow) Keck passed away peacefully on the evening of Tuesday Sept. 14 2010, after a brief battle with cancer. She was Director, Dromkeen, National Centre for Picture Book Art for many years. Kaye was awarded the Leila St John Award in 2003, presented by the Victorian Branch of the CBCA for distinguished services to children's literature. This is the citation.

Randolph Stow

Died May 29th 2010. Obiturary from The Australian archived here.

Jill Midolo

Died Sunday, April 4, 2010. The CMIS at WA have this vale page.

Anne Bower Ingram

Anne Ingram, pioneering children's publisher, editor of Reading Time died on Friday the 26th of March 2010. Mark MacLeod has written another moving tribute at his blog.

Patricia Wrightson

1921 - 2010. Patricia Wrightson, the great children's author and recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen award (1986) has died. She was 88 years old. She was without doubt one of the greatest figures ever in Australian children's literature and with her passing ends a remarkable era. A press release from the NSW Minister for the Arts, Victoria Judge has been linked to here.

Judith Ridge blogs here. Mark MacLeod writes here. Here is a copy of Maurice Saxby's obituary published in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Kilmeny Niland

(1950 -2009) Daughter of Ruth Park and D'arcy Niland, an acclaimed author and illustrator in her own right. The Sydney Morning Herald's obituary.

Ivan Southall

Ivan Southall passed away on November 15 2008. According to his daughter, he had lost a short battle with cancer. He won 4 children's book council awards, and the Carnegie Medal in 1972. He is best known for his novels. Hill's End, Josh and To the Wild Sky. He was 87.

Eleanor Spence AM

Eleanor Spence passed away on September 30th 2008. She was nearly 80, and is survived by her three children, Alister, Nigel and Lisette. Her first book, Patterson's Track was published in 1958. She went onto to write many others, covering a wide range of topics. And many of these went on to win accolades and awards, including The Green Laurel (1964) and The October Child (1977). In 2005, she was made a member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to Australian children's literature and her services to autism.

Leone Peguero

Leone Peguero from BlueCatBooks died late June 2008. Leonie was an inspiration, friend and generous mentor to many people and many writers. She helped publish many authors and illustrators with her publishing company BlueCatBooks. She will be greatly missed by many people.

Nance Donkin

Children’s author and Victorian Branch Life Member Nance Donkin AM died peacefully April 18 2008, in her 93^rd year. Nance wrote prolifically during the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s right into 1990 and she is probably still best remembered for her novels “House by the Water” (1969), “Johnny Neptune” (1971) and the biography “Margaret Catchpole”.

Marcie Muir

Marcie Muir died on November 17 2007. She will be best known for her definitive works on Australian children's literature and children's book illustration, the best known of these published in 1970, Australian Children's Books: A Bibliography. Her work was recognized by the Children's Book Council with the first Nan Chauncy Award in 1984 and the Library Council of Australia with the Redmond Barry Award in 1988.

Colin Thiele

Monday 4th Sept. 2006

Neil Curtis

Neil Curtis died on Monday 11 December 2006 after a typically defiant battle with cancer. He was 56 years old. His work is loved and appreciated all over the world. His materials were unpretentious: pen and ink, paint, pencil; his style adventurous and exploratory, in turn anarchic, delicate, fierce, joyous. Neil's books include the award-winning Cat and Fish, Cat and Fish Go to See, Mr Noah and the Cats (published by Lothian) Pirates Eat Porridge (A&U) and many others. His beautiful and poignant memoir The Memory Book (A&U) was recently described by the LA Times as 'an antidote to verbosity and excessive imagery; in its simplicity it reconnects the image to the word and shows the jaded eye how powerful they can be together'.