Green cloth binding with gilt title on the spine and front board.

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This surely is a lovely book both in appearance and content

This captivating story of an Australian family at the end of the nineteenth century was first published in September 1894 and became an instant popular success. A perennial favourite with succeeding generations of Australians, Seven Little Australians has remained continuously in print, through scores of editions, and produced for stage, film and television. Translated into 13 different languages, the story of Judy, her parents and six unruly siblings has also been warmly received by millions of readers around the world. This edition presents the complete and original text by Ethel Turner, illustrated by John Lennox, with background information and annotations.

Reviews:

• This was a trip down memory lane for me as Ethel Turner was one of my favourite authors when I was a child and I read all her books. I loved it because it was nostalgia but, really, it was very dated. That in itself was interesting as it reflected both changing times and, inevitably, the difference between a child’s and an adult’s perception. I am still very glad to have found it and reread it – and I hope to find an affordable copy of “Three Little Maids” – the first Ethel Turner book I read and the one that started me on all the others.
• First came to my attention oh so many years ago as a children’s tv series. Which I then had to read, being book minded. The TV series was wonderful, the book is even better. I thoroughly recommend it. I also managed to track down the sequels. (I’d also love to see the tv series again.)

Ethel Turner (24 January 1872 – 8 April 1958) was an English-born Australian novelist and children’s literature writer. 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.Turner was educated at Paddington, New South Wales Public School and Sydney Girls High School—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 and later for the Australian Town and Country Journal. In 1891, the family moved to Inglewood (now known as Woodlands), a large house in Lindfield, now Killara, 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, a lawyer. After living in Mosman, they built their own house overlooking Middle Harbour. The house, Avenel, is where Turner spent the rest of her years. She survived her daughter Jean Curlewis, 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 was a barrister, captain in WW2 and a Changi and Thai-Burma Railway POW and later judge. Turner died at Mosman on 8 April 1958 at 85. She is buried at Macquarie Park Cemetery in Sydney’s North.