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Ethel Turner (24 January 1870 – 8 April 1958) was an English-born Australian novelist and children's literature writer.


Life

She was born Ethel Mary Burwell in Doncaster in England. Her father died when she was two, leaving her mother Sarah Jane Burwell with two daughters (Ethel and Lillian). A year later, Sarah Jane married Henry Turner, who was 20 years older and had six children of his own. Sarah Jane and Henry had a daughter, Rose. Henry Turner died suddenly, leaving Sarah Jane with nine children and little income. In 1879 Sarah Jane moved to Australia with Ethel, Lillian, and Rose; within the next two years she married Charles Cope and gave birth to his son Rex. Ethel Turner was educated at Paddington, New South Wales Public School and
Sydney Girls High School Sydney Girls High School (abbreviated as SGHS or Sydney Girls) is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Single-sex school, single-sex Selective school (New South Wales), academically selective secondary school, secondary da ...
—she was one of the school's original thirty-seven pupils. She started her writing career at eighteen, founding the ''Parthenon,'' a journal for young people, with her sister Lillian. As 'Dame Durden' she wrote children's columns for the ''
Illustrated Sydney News ''The Illustrated Sydney News'' was a monthly English language newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. History First published on 8 October 1853 by Walter George Mason (1820 – 12 March 1866), William Edward Vernon and Ludolf ...
'' and later for the ''
Australian Town and Country Journal Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...
''. In 1891, the family moved to ''Inglewood'' (now known as ''Woodlands''), a large house in Lindfield, now
Killara Killara is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council. East Killara is a separate suburb and ...
, which was then out in the country. ''Woodlands'' still stands today in Werona Avenue and is where she wrote ''Seven Little Australians''. In 1896 Ethel married
Herbert Curlewis Herbert Raine Curlewis (22 August 1869 – 11 October 1942) was an Australian judge and writer. Early life and education Curlewis was born in Bondi, New South Wales and was the eldest son of Frederick Charles Curlewis, a brickmaster, and his ...
, a lawyer. After living in Mosman, they built their own house overlooking Middle Harbour. The house, Avenel, is where Ethel Turner spent the rest of her years. She survived her daughter
Jean Curlewis Jean Curlewis (7 February 1898 – 28 March 1930) was an Australian writer. The daughter of Ethel Turner and Herbert Curlewis, she battled tuberculosis for many years before dying at 32 years of age. Life Ethel Jean Sophia Curlewis was born ...
, who died of tuberculosis, by 28 years. Jean was also a writer of children's books, although not as popular as her mother. Jean's works include ''The Ship That Never Set Sail'', ''Drowning Maze'', and ''Beach Beyond'' (1923). Her son
Adrian Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the mai ...
was a barrister, captain in
WW2 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
and a
Changi Changi () is a planning area located in the geographical region of Tanah Merah in the East Region of Singapore. Sharing borders with Pasir Ris and Tampines to the west, Changi Bay to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east and the Seran ...
and Thai-Burma Railway POW and later judge. Ethel Turner died at Mosman on 8 April 1958 at 85. She is buried at Macquarie Park Cemetery in Sydney's North.


Career

Her best-known work is her first novel, ''
Seven Little Australians ''Seven Little Australians'' is a classic Australian children's literature novel by Ethel Turner, published in 1894. Set mainly in Sydney in the 1880s, it relates the adventures of the seven mischievous Woolcot children, their stern army father ...
'' (1894), which is widely considered a classic of Australian children's literature and was an instant hit both in Australia and overseas. It is about a family of seven children growing up in Australia. The book, together with its sequels ''The Family at Misrule'' (1895) and ''Little Mother Meg'' (1902) deal with the lives of the Woolcot family, particularly with its seven mischievous and rebellious children, in 1880s Australia. A companion to "Seven Little Australians", ''Judy and Punch'' was published in 1928. Like her stepfather, the character of Captain Woolcot was a widower with six children. The book was made into a feature film in Australia in 1939 and a UK television series in 1953. A 10-episode television series was made in 1973 by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
. Turner published a number of other books for children, short stories and poems. ''Three Little Maids'' (1900) is a strongly autobiographical novel about her family's migration from England to Sydney, Australia. Turner wrote more than forty novels. Some were about the mischievous Woolcots. Others were serialized, like her books on "the Cub", and some were stand-alone. The children she wrote about were all adventurous and independent. They frequently got themselves into sticky situations and got themselves out of them with very little to no adult help.


Awards and honours

Turner was awarded a number of prestigious literary awards and could be considered one of Australia's best-loved authors. She is listed on The Australian Women's Register. The Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature is given annually under the auspices of the
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, also known as the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, were first awarded in 1979. They are among the richest literary awards in Australia. Notable prizes include the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, t ...
. Curlewis Crescent in the Canberra suburb of Garran is named in her honour and also for her husband.


Works

*''
Seven Little Australians ''Seven Little Australians'' is a classic Australian children's literature novel by Ethel Turner, published in 1894. Set mainly in Sydney in the 1880s, it relates the adventures of the seven mischievous Woolcot children, their stern army father ...
'' (1894) *''The Family at Misrule'' (1895) *''Story of a Baby'' (1895) *''Little Larrikin'' (1896) *''Miss Bobbie'' (1897) *''Camp at Wandining'' (1898) *''Gum Leaves'' (1900) *''Three Little Maids'' (1900) *''Wonder Child'' (1901) *''Little Mother Meg'' (1902) *''Raft in the Bush'' (1902) *''Betty & Co'' (1903) *''Mothers Little Girl'' (1904) *''White Roofed Tree'' (1905) *''In the Mist of the Mountains'' (1906) *''Walking to School'' (1907) *''Stolen Voyage'' (1907) *''Happy Hearts'' (1908) *''That Girl'' (1908) *''Birthday Book'' (1909) *''Fugitives from Fortune'' (1909) *''Fair Ines'' (1910) *''An Orge up to Date'' (1911) *''Apple of Happiness'' (1911) *''Fifteen & Fair'' (1911) *''Ports & Happy Havens'' (1911) *''Tiny House'' (1911) *''Secret of the Sea'' (1913) *''Flower O' the Pine'' (1914) *''The Cub'' (1915) *''John of Daunt'' (1916) *''Captain Cub'' (1917) *''St Tom & The Dragon'' (1918) *''Brigid & the Cub'' (1919) *''Laughing Water'' (1920) *''King Anne'' (1921) *''Jennifer, J.'' (1922) *''Sunshine Family'' (1923) (with Jean Curlewis her daughter) *''Nicola Silver'' (1924) *''Ungardeners'' (1925) *''Funny'' (1926) *''Judy & Punch'' (1928)


Minor works

*''Widening the Horizon'' Short story appeared in the '' Argosy'' July 1931. *"The death ride" Short story published in "Murder Pie" mystery anthology Angus and Robertson, 1936.


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Ethel English emigrants to Australia 1872 births 1958 deaths Australian children's writers Australian women children's writers Australian women novelists 19th-century Australian women 20th-century Australian women People educated at Sydney Girls High School