The belt of trees had grown black, and stretched sombre, motionless arms against the orange background.

Well written descriptive passages elevate this novel from simple YA fiction - such as 'run through the paddocks under cover of the kindly dusk' and 'Such a sunset! Down at the foot of the grass hill there was a flame-coloured sky, with purple, soft clouds massed in banks high up where the dying glory met the paling blue. Turner beautifully evokes both the glory and brutality of the Australian landscape, which forms a clever mirror to the joys and sorrows of the loveable but ruffian Woolcott children - 'There is a lurking sparkle of joyousness and rebellion and mischief in nature here, and therefore in children.' Her granddaughter Philippa Poole has published a book about her grandmother entitled The Diaries of Ethel Turner.Įssentially the Aussie version of Little Women, Turner's bitter sweet tale of a band of unruly young siblings in country NSW early last century is a heartening story of the bonds of family, youth and the hardships of the Australian pioneer life. Ethel Turner died in 1958, leaving as her memorial a book that is now regarded as a classic in children's literature. Seven Little Australians has been read and loved by children all over the world, and it has been continuously in print for over 100 years. Ethel Turner went on to write over 40 books in her lifetime, including children's stories, short stories and poems, many of which appeared in the Town and Country journal and in the Sun Herald newspaper. It has been translated into at least 11 languages, performed as a stage play, and been made into a film, a BBC television series in 1953, and a 10-episode television series for the ABC in 1973. Since then the book has sold over 2 million copies in the English language and has been reprinted over 50 times.

In January 1893 she recorded in her diary, 'Night started a new story that I shall call Seven Little Australians.' Later that year, she finished the book, parcelled it up and sent it off to a publisher in Melbourne.

Ethel kept diaries for a remarkable 62 years, recording the details of her full and eventful life. She showed a great love of literature while at school and in her late teens launched a literary and social magazine in Sydney with her sister Lilian Turner. Born in England in 1870, Ethel Turner came to Australia with her mother and sisters when she was 10 years old.

The seven little australians