May Gibbs
Encyclopedia
Cecilia May Gibbs MBE
(17 January 1877 – 27 November 1969) was an Australia
n children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best-known for her gumnut babies (also known as "bush babies" or "bush fairies"), and the book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie
.
, to Herbert William Gibbs and Cecilia Rogers, who were both talented people. She was their second child, and as she was named after her mother, had the nickname "Mamie". The family moved to South Australia
to set up a farm in 1879 due to Herbert's failing eyesight, the result of a boyhood injury. However, as May had caught the measles, her father and uncle went to Australia, leaving her mother in England to care for the children. On 1 June 1881, the Gibbs brothers arrived in South Australia, and began to look for the land arranged for them by a relative of theirs. Over the next few months, the brothers became disillusioned with the land. Cecilia discovered that she was pregnant again, and decided to make the voyage to Australia with her children. Despite her parents' dismay, Cecilia and the children left, and her third child, Ivan, was born at sea. A drought in the area caused the family to move again, to Norwood. In 1885, the family moved again to a farm property in Harvey, Western Australia
. When May was eight years old, she was given a pony by her father.
May enjoyed exploring the bush riding her pony, Brownie,and began to paint and write about the bush at this time. This period of her childhood, and her imaginative interpretation of the bush, was formative in the development of the anthropmorphic bush setting found in her work. When May was 10, the family moved to Perth
, and in 1889 May was published for the first time - in the Christmas edition of the W.A. Bulletin. A number of return trips to England found her absent from that state, but in 1905 May was working for the Western Mail
. After finishing school, Gibbs spent seven years studying art in the UK. While overseas, she published her first book, About Us. In 1913 she returned to Australia, and took up residence at Nutcote
, in Neutral Bay
, in Sydney
, New South Wales
.
1913 also marked the first public appearance of the gumnut
babies, on the front cover of The Missing Button, by Ethel Turner
, which Gibbs had illustrated. Gibbs' first book about the gumnut babies, appropriately titled Gumnut Babies, was published in 1916. It was soon followed, in 1918, by her most famous work, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. Gibbs wrote many books on the theme of the gumnut babies. In addition to her work illustrating and writing, Gibbs also maintained two comic strips, Bib and Bub 1924-1967 and Tiggy Touchwood 1925-1931. The comic strips were published in newspapers in most Australian states and also in New Zealand.
Gibbs married Bertram James Ossoli Kelly, a mining agent, who she met in 1919 during a visit to Perth.
May Gibbs died in 1969, but her legacy to children lives on. Gibbs bequeathed the copyright from the designs of her bush characters and her stories to Northcott Disability Services
(formerly The NSW Society for Crippled Children) and The Spastic Centre of NSW
. The residue of her estate was left to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.
In 1985 a postage stamp
honouring Gibbs, or her best known creations, was issued by Australia Post
as part of a set of five commemorating children's books. http://www.australianstamp.com/images/large/0015520.jpg.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(17 January 1877 – 27 November 1969) was an Australia
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 children's author, illustrator, and cartoonist. She is best-known for her gumnut babies (also known as "bush babies" or "bush fairies"), and the book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie is a series of books written by Australian author May Gibbs. The books chronicle the adventures of the eponymous Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. The central story arc concerns Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and their adventures along with troubles with the villains of the story, the ...
.
Biography
Cecilia May Gibbs was born in Kent, in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, to Herbert William Gibbs and Cecilia Rogers, who were both talented people. She was their second child, and as she was named after her mother, had the nickname "Mamie". The family moved to South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
to set up a farm in 1879 due to Herbert's failing eyesight, the result of a boyhood injury. However, as May had caught the measles, her father and uncle went to Australia, leaving her mother in England to care for the children. On 1 June 1881, the Gibbs brothers arrived in South Australia, and began to look for the land arranged for them by a relative of theirs. Over the next few months, the brothers became disillusioned with the land. Cecilia discovered that she was pregnant again, and decided to make the voyage to Australia with her children. Despite her parents' dismay, Cecilia and the children left, and her third child, Ivan, was born at sea. A drought in the area caused the family to move again, to Norwood. In 1885, the family moved again to a farm property in Harvey, Western Australia
Harvey, Western Australia
Harvey is a town located in the South West of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, 140 km south of Perth, between Pinjarra and Bunbury...
. When May was eight years old, she was given a pony by her father.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, and in 1889 May was published for the first time - in the Christmas edition of the W.A. Bulletin. A number of return trips to England found her absent from that state, but in 1905 May was working for the Western Mail
Western Mail (Western Australia)
The Western Mail, or Western Mail, was the name of two weekly newspapers published in Perth, Western Australia.-West Australian newspapers:...
. After finishing school, Gibbs spent seven years studying art in the UK. While overseas, she published her first book, About Us. In 1913 she returned to Australia, and took up residence at Nutcote
Nutcote
Nutcote is the name of the house which the renowned Australian children’s author and illustrator May Gibbs lived in for 44 years. The May Gibbs' Nutcote is now a visitable house-museum located in Neutral Bay, Sydney...
, in Neutral Bay
Neutral Bay, New South Wales
Neutral Bay is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Neutral Bay is located 5 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council....
, in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
.
Gumnut
Gumnut can refer to:*The hard woody fruit of trees of the genus Eucalyptus.*Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, the gumnut babies of author May Gibbs....
babies, on the front cover of The Missing Button, by Ethel Turner
Ethel Turner
Ethel Turner was an Australian 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 . A year later, Sarah Jane married Henry Turner, who was twenty years older and had six...
, which Gibbs had illustrated. Gibbs' first book about the gumnut babies, appropriately titled Gumnut Babies, was published in 1916. It was soon followed, in 1918, by her most famous work, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. Gibbs wrote many books on the theme of the gumnut babies. In addition to her work illustrating and writing, Gibbs also maintained two comic strips, Bib and Bub 1924-1967 and Tiggy Touchwood 1925-1931. The comic strips were published in newspapers in most Australian states and also in New Zealand.
Gibbs married Bertram James Ossoli Kelly, a mining agent, who she met in 1919 during a visit to Perth.
May Gibbs died in 1969, but her legacy to children lives on. Gibbs bequeathed the copyright from the designs of her bush characters and her stories to Northcott Disability Services
Northcott Disability Services
Northcott Disability Services was established as The NSW Society for Crippled Children in 1929 by the in response to the growing number of children left with the effects of illnesses such as polio and tuberculosis....
(formerly The NSW Society for Crippled Children) and The Spastic Centre of NSW
The Spastic Centre
The Spastic Centre of New South Wales, Australia has changed its name to Cerebral Palsy Alliance on February 8th 2011.Cerebral Palsy Alliance was founded on 9 December 1944 and commenced operations 30 January 1945. It was founded by a concerned group of 25 parents of children with cerebral palsy...
. The residue of her estate was left to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.
In 1985 a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
honouring Gibbs, or her best known creations, was issued by Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
as part of a set of five commemorating children's books. http://www.australianstamp.com/images/large/0015520.jpg.
Works
- About Us (1912)
- Gumnut Babies (1916)
- Gumblossom Babies (1916)
- Boronia Babies (1917)
- Flannel Flowers and Other Bush Babies (1917)
- Wattle Babies (1918)
- Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (1918)
- Little Ragged Blossom (1920)
- Little Obelia (1921)
- Nuttybub and Nittersing (1923)
- Chucklebud and Wunkydoo (1924)
- Bib and Bub: Their Adventures (1925)
- The Further Adventures of Bib and Bub (1927)
- More Funny Stories about Old Friends Bib and Bub (1928)
- Bib and Bub in Gumnut Town aka Two Little Gum-Nuts (1929)
- The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (1940)
- Scotty in Gumnut Land (1941)
- Mr and Mrs Bear and Friends (1943)
- Prince Dande Lion (1953)
External links
Further reading
- Sharkey, Chris and Pendal, Phillip (2000). May and Herbert Gibbs: The people, the Places, South Perth, W.A. The May Gibbs Trust. ISBN 0-646-38811-8
- Walsh, Maureen (2007). May Gibbs: Mother of the Gumnuts, Sydney: Sydney University Press. ISBN 9781920898496, http://purl.library.usyd.edu.au/sup/9781920898496