Ethel Turner
Encyclopedia
Ethel Turner was an Australia
n novelist and children's 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 twenty years older and had six children of his own. Sarah Jane had another child to her new husband, a daughter named Rose. Henry Turner died suddenly, leaving Sarah Jane with nine children to look after and little income. In 1879, Sarah Jane moved to Australia with Ethel, Lillian and Rose. Within the next year, she married again, to Charles Cope. The following year, 1881, a son Rex was born.
Ethel Turner was educated at Paddington
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 with her sister Lillian, with whom she founded the Parthenon, a journal for young people. As 'Dame Durden', she wrote children's columns for the Illustrated Sydney News and later for the 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. Inglewood 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 Ethel Turner spent the rest of her years. She survived her daughter, Jean Curlewis, who died of tuberculosis, by twenty five years. Jean Curlewis 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). Ethel Turner died aged eighty-eight at Mosman on 8 April 1958. She is buried at Macquarie Park Cemetery in Sydney's North.
Her best-known work is her first novel, Seven Little Australians
(1894), which is widely considered a classic of Australian children's literature and was an instant hit both in Australia and overseas. 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
.
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 40 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.
Ethel Turner was awarded a number of prestigious literary awards and can easily be classed as one of Australia's best-loved authors. The Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature is given annually under the auspices of the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n novelist and children's writer.
She was born Ethel Mary Burwell in Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. 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 twenty years older and had six children of his own. Sarah Jane had another child to her new husband, a daughter named Rose. Henry Turner died suddenly, leaving Sarah Jane with nine children to look after and little income. In 1879, Sarah Jane moved to Australia with Ethel, Lillian and Rose. Within the next year, she married again, to Charles Cope. The following year, 1881, a son Rex was born.
Ethel Turner was educated at Paddington
Paddington, New South Wales
Paddington is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Paddington is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and lies across the local government areas of the City of Sydney and the Municipality of Woollahra...
Public School and Sydney Girls High School
Sydney Girls High School
Sydney Girls High School is an academically selective, Public high school for girls, located at Moore Park, in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
- she was one of the school's original thirty-seven pupils.
She started her writing career at eighteen with her sister Lillian, with whom she founded the Parthenon, a journal for young people. As 'Dame Durden', she wrote children's columns for the Illustrated Sydney News and later for the Town and Country Journal. In 1891, the family moved to Inglewood (now known as Woodlands), a large house in Lindfield
Lindfield
Lindfield may refer to:*Lindfield, New South Wales, Australia*Lindfield, West Sussex, England...
, now Killara, which was then out in the country. Inglewood 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 Ethel Turner spent the rest of her years. She survived her daughter, Jean Curlewis, who died of tuberculosis, by twenty five years. Jean Curlewis 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). Ethel Turner died aged eighty-eight at Mosman on 8 April 1958. She is buried at Macquarie Park Cemetery in Sydney's North.
Her best-known work is her first novel, Seven Little Australians
Seven Little Australians
Seven Little Australians is a classic Australian children's novel by Ethel Turner. Set mainly in Sydney in the 1880s, it relates the adventures of the seven mischievous Woolcot children, their stern army father Captain Woolcot and flighty stepmother Esther.In 1994 the novel was the only book by an...
(1894), which is widely considered a classic of Australian children's literature and was an instant hit both in Australia and overseas. 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
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
.
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 40 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.
Ethel Turner was awarded a number of prestigious literary awards and can easily be classed as one of Australia's best-loved authors. The Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature is given annually under the auspices of the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards
The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards were established in 1979 by the New South Wales Premier Neville Wran. Commenting on its purpose, Wran said: "We want the arts to take, and be seen to take, their proper place in our social priorities...
.
Works
- Seven Little AustraliansSeven Little AustraliansSeven Little Australians is a classic Australian children's novel by Ethel Turner. Set mainly in Sydney in the 1880s, it relates the adventures of the seven mischievous Woolcot children, their stern army father Captain Woolcot and flighty stepmother Esther.In 1994 the novel was the only book by an...
(1894) - 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)
- 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 Innes (1910)
- Raft in the Bush (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 (magazine)Argosy (magazine)Argosy was an American pulp magazine, published by Frank Munsey. It is generally considered to be the first American pulp magazine. The magazine began as a general information periodical entitled The Golden Argosy, targeted at the boys adventure market.-Launch of Argosy:In late September 1882,...
July 1931.