Pixie O'Harris (born Rhona Olive Harris; 15 October 1903 – 17 November 1991) was a Welsh-born Australian artist, newspaper, magazine and book illustrator, author, broadcaster, caricaturist and cartoonist, designer of book plates, sheet music covers and stationery, and children's hospital ward fairy-style mural painter. She became patron to Sydney's

Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children The Children's Hospital at Westmead (formerly Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children) is a children's hospital in Western Sydney. The hospital was founded in 1880 as "The Sydney Hospital for Sick Children". Its name was changed to the "Royal Alex ...

in 1977.

Early life

Rhona Olive Harris was the daughter of George Frederick Harris, chairman of the Royal Art Society

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, and Rosetta Elizabeth Harris (née Lucas). She was the fifth of nine children. Rhona was the aunt of Rolf Harris. Her brother was Cromwell Harris, who immigrated from

, Wales to

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, Western Australia. Cromwell was the father of Rolf Harris. She was educated at Sully village school and Allensbank Girls School in Cardiff. At age 14 she was a member of the South West Art Society. The Harris family migrated to Australia in 1920 and settled in Perth. They moved to Sydney in 1921. Disliking her given name ''Rhona'', and having been dubbed "the Welsh

pixie A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas arou ...

" on the boat over to Australia, she became known as "Pixie". She originally produced her professional work under the name "Pixie O. Harris"; however, following a printer's error at the ''

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...

'', which printed her name as "Pixie O'Harris", she permanently used that pseudonym. During the 1950s she completed a series of murals and paintings for the children's wards of several hospitals with her brother Olaf. Some of these were later rediscovered, restored and put on display in 2020.

Marriage

On 16 July 1928 she married Bruce Pratt, the son of eminent scholar and important Congregational minister, Frederick Vicary Pratt (1870–1932) and Agnes Elizabeth Pratt (born 1872), née Waddell. He was also the editor of the

Australian Encyclopaedia The ''Australian Encyclopaedia'' is an encyclopedia focused on Australia. In addition to biographies of notable Australians the coverage includes the geology, flora, fauna as well as the history of the continent. It was first published by Angus a ...

, and a younger brother of the artist Douglas Pratt. The couple had three daughters.

Honours

In 1953 Pixie O'Harris was awarded the Queen's Coronation Medal. In 1976 she was made a Member of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(MBE). The following year she was awarded the

Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'argent de la reine Elizabeth II) is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is p ...

Works

Written by Pixie O'Harris

* 1983, ''Was It Yesterday? The Autobiography of Pixie O'Harris'', Rigby, Australia. * 1986, ''Our Small Safe World: Recollections of a Welsh Childhood'', Boobook Publications, Sydney, NSW.

Poetry (or lyrics) by Pixie O'Harris

* 1944, ''Where the Waterfall Leaps in the Gully'', (music by Dorothy R. Mathlin), D. Davis & Co., Sydney, NSW. * 1945, ''Pixie O'Harris Songs for Children'', (music by Dorothy R. Mathlin), D. Davis & Co., Sydney, NSW. * 1945, ''Where the Winding Wollondilly Flows'', (music by Dorothy R. Mathlin), D. Davis & Co., Sydney, NSW. * 1957, ''The Town of Flowers'', Arthur H. Stockwell, Devon, UK. * 1972, ''The Hunter: a Two-Part Song'', (music by Colin J. Jenkins),

Allans Music Allans Music was a chain of music stores in Australia. It sold all categories of musical instruments, instrument accessories and sheet music. In 2010 it became Allans Billy Hyde, but collapsed in 2012. It collapsed again in 2018, but into volunta ...

, Melbourne, VIC.

Written and illustrated by Pixie O'Harris

* 1923, ''The O.K. Fairy Book: New Rhymes and Pictures for Kiddies Only'', Weston Co., Sydney, NSW. * 1935, ''Pearl Pinkie and Sea Greenie: the Story of Two Little Rock-Sprites'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * 1940, ''The Pixie O'Harris Story Book'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * 1941, ''The Babes in the Wood, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood (3 Vols.)'', New Century Press, Sydney, NSW. * 1941, ''The Fortunes of Poppy Treloar'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * 1942, ''Marmaduke the Possum'', Angus and Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * 1943, ''Goolara: Daughter of the Billabong'', Currawong, Sydney, NSW. * 1943, ''Rondel the Fair'', Currawong, Sydney, NSW. * 1943, ''The Story of Our Baby'', New Century Press, Sydney, NSW. * 1944, ''Rocks of Han: a Fairy Story'', Currawong, Sydney, NSW. * 1944, '' Poppy and the Gems'', Currawong, Sydney, NSW. * 1945, ''Pixie O'Harris Songs for Children'', Davis, Sydney, NSW. * 1945, ''The Fairy Who Wouldn't Fly'', Marchant & Co., Sydney, NSW. * 1946, ''Princess of China'', Currawong Publishing, Sydney, NSW. * 1947, ''Poppy Faces the World'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * 1950, ''Pixie O'Harris Gift Book'', Dymock's, Sydney, NSW. * 1953, ''Marmaduke and Margaret'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * 1977, ''Marmaduke the Possum in the Cave of the Gnomes'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * 1977, ''Birthday Book'', Angus and Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * 1978, ''The Teddy Bear's Picnic'', Golden Press, Sydney, NSW. * 1978, ''The Bunny Who Lost his Tail and The Giant's Eiderdown'', Golden Press, Sydney, NSW. * 1979, ''The Kangaroo Who Couldn't Hop and the Cloud Wallaby'', Golden Press Sydney, NSW. * 1980, ''The Pixie O'Harris Treasury of Animal Verse'', Golden Press, Sydney, NSW. * 1980, ''Trailing Echoes'', (publisher not known), Sydney, NSW. * 1981, ''The Pixie O'Harris Nursery Rhyme Book'', David Ell, Sydney, NSW. * 1982, ''The Little Grey Mouse and her Friends'', Golden Press, Sydney, NSW. * 1985, ''A Cavalcade of Cats'', Methuen, Sydney, NSW. * 1985, ''Loveleaves the Koala'', Methuen, Sydney, NSW. * 1988, ''Loveleaves Returns to the Bush'', Dent, Australia.

Works illustrated by Pixie O'Harris

* Bedford, Ruth, 1934, ''Hundreds and Thousands'', Dymock's, Sydney, NSW. * Boughton, Joy, 1981, ''This Roundabout'', J. Boughton, Vaucluse, NSW (Illustrated by Pixie O'Harris & Joseph H. Arman). * Carroll, Lewis, 1990, ''

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a ...

, (125th Birthday Edition)'', Carroll Foundation, Melbourne, VIC. * Cope, Gwen, 1936, ''Fairy Verse for Little Folk'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * Cope, Gwen, 1937, ''Under the Joy of the Sky, and Other Verses'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * Davison, Frank Dalby, 1936, ''Children of the Dark People: an Australian Story for Young Folk'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * Grahame, Kenneth, 1983, ''

The Wind in the Willows ''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets ...

'', Rigby Ltd, Adelaide, SA. * Griffiths, Lexie, 1945, ''Between Ourselves'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * Hemphill, Rosemary, 1959, ''Fragrance and Flavour: the Growing and Use of Herbs'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * Higgins, Kathleen, 1938, ''Betty in Bushland'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * Lister, Gladys, 1938, ''Little Round Garden'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * Lister, Gladys, 1939, ''Little Round House'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * Lister, Gladys, 1946, ''The House that Beckons'', New Century Press, Sydney, NSW. * Liston, Maud Renner, 1982, ''Cinderella's Party: A Fairy Story'', Rigby Ltd, Adelaide, SA. * Littlejohn, Agnes. 1924, ''The Lost Emerald and Other Stories'', Edwards Dunlop, Sydney, NSW. * Merrick, Frances, 1975, ''The Children's Bar Reading Book'', Mrs. Frances Merrick, Roseville, NSW. * Park, Margaret Robertson, 1940, ''The Secret Joy: Poems'', Jackson & O'Sullivan, Brisbane, QLD. * Pender, Lydia, 1958, ''Marbles in My Pocket'', Writers' Press, Sydney, NSW. * Randell, Beverley, 1969, ''The Baby'', Kea Press, Wellington, NZ. * Rice, Esmée, 1948, ''The Secret Family'', Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW. * Rothenberger, L. (ed.), 1968, ''More Star Spangled Cooking: With The American Women's Club of the American Society, Sydney, Australia'', American Society, Sydney, NSW. * Sabine, Jo, 1941, ''The Pillow Pat Poems'', J.Sabine, Grafton, NSW. * Tombs, John, 1945, ''Apple Cottage, and the Lost Key'', Offset Printing Company, Sydney, NSW. * She also illustrated stories and articles appearing in the

School Magazine A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...

published by the NSW Department of Education. The issues of February, April and July 1947 contain examples.

Memorial

APA Pixie O’Harris Award

Is awarded for "Distinguished and Dedicated Service to the Development and Reputation of Australian Children’s Books".

References

External links

O'Harris, Pixie (1903–1991)

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

Pixie O'Harris 1903–1991
Australian Children's Literature 1830–1950
Papers of Pixie O'Harris, n.d.

Lu Rees Archives The National Centre for Australian Children's Literature, formerly known as the Lu Rees Archives, is a not-for-profit study and research centre housed at the University of Canberra. The founding donation was by Lu Rees. Its director in 2018 was ...

of Australian Children's Literature,

University of Canberra The University of Canberra (UC) is a public research university with its main campus located in Bruce, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The campus is within walking distance of Westfield Belconnen, and from Canberra's Civic Centre. UC ...

Papers of Ray Mathew, 1945–2001

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

containing papers of Pixie O'Harris
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oharris, Pixie 1903 births 1991 deaths 20th-century Australian musicians 20th-century Australian painters 20th-century Australian poets 20th-century Australian women artists 20th-century Australian women writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers 20th-century Welsh women artists 20th-century Welsh painters 20th-century Welsh poets 20th-century Welsh women writers Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire Artists from Cardiff Australian children's writers Australian caricaturists Australian cartoonists Australian women cartoonists Australian songwriters Australian women illustrators Australian children's book illustrators Naturalised citizens of Australia British emigrants to Australia British women children's writers Australian women poets Welsh women poets Writers from Cardiff Pseudonymous women writers Welsh illustrators British women illustrators British caricaturists British women cartoonists Welsh cartoonists