Dorothy Wall
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Wall was a New Zealand
-born author and illustrator of children's fiction books. She is most famous for creating Blinky Bill
, an anthropomorphic koala
who was the central character in her books Blinky Bill: the Quaint Little Australian (1933), Blinky Bill Grows Up (1934) and Blinky Bill and Nutsy (1937).
Wall was born in Wellington
, New Zealand
on 12 January 1894 and won scholarships for her art at the age of 10. She migrated to Australia
in 1914 and worked for the Sun newspaper in Sydney. In 1920 her first children's story "Tommy Bear and the Zookies" was published and the following year she married Andrew Delfosse Badgery. The same year Wall found some acclaim for her illustrations in J.J. Hall's book "The Crystal Bowl".
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s she continued to work as an illustrator. Her best known book Blinky Bill: the Quaint Little Australian was published in 1933. In 1934 she divorced Badgery and moved with her son to Warrimoo
in the Blue Mountains where she completed two more Blinky Bill books, Blinky Bill Grows Up and Blinky Bill and Nutsy. Despite Blinky Bill's popularity Wall experienced financial difficulties and was forced to fall back on her skills as an artist. Angus & Robertson, Ltd., her publishers at the time, provided her with work illustrating book jackets.
Suffering from depression and with failing health, Wall returned to New Zealand in 1937 where she became an illustrator for the New Zealand Herald and the Auckland Weekly News. Over the next few years both her health and her financial situation improved, aided no doubt by the publishing of The Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill in 1939. In July 1941 Wall moved back to Sydney and the country she loved so much, but her health quickly deteriorated and on 21 January 1942 she died of pneumonia
at her home in Cremorne
. She was buried in Northern Suburbs cemetery.
In 1985 a postage stamp
honouring Wall or her creation, Blinky Bill, was issued by Australia Post
as part of a set of five commemorating children's books. http://www.australianstamp.com/images/large/0015510.jpg.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
-born author and illustrator of children's fiction books. She is most famous for creating Blinky Bill
Blinky Bill
Blinky Bill is an anthropomorphic koala and children's fictional character created by New Zealand-born Australian author Dorothy Wall. The character of Blinky first appeared in Brooke Nicholls' 1933 book, Jacko - the Broadcasting Kookaburra, which was illustrated by Wall...
, an anthropomorphic koala
Koala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
who was the central character in her books Blinky Bill: the Quaint Little Australian (1933), Blinky Bill Grows Up (1934) and Blinky Bill and Nutsy (1937).
Wall was born in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on 12 January 1894 and won scholarships for her art at the age of 10. She migrated to 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...
in 1914 and worked for the Sun newspaper in Sydney. In 1920 her first children's story "Tommy Bear and the Zookies" was published and the following year she married Andrew Delfosse Badgery. The same year Wall found some acclaim for her illustrations in J.J. Hall's book "The Crystal Bowl".
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s she continued to work as an illustrator. Her best known book Blinky Bill: the Quaint Little Australian was published in 1933. In 1934 she divorced Badgery and moved with her son to Warrimoo
Warrimoo, New South Wales
Warrimoo is a village in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. Warrimoo is located 75 kilometres west of Sydney, in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains...
in the Blue Mountains where she completed two more Blinky Bill books, Blinky Bill Grows Up and Blinky Bill and Nutsy. Despite Blinky Bill's popularity Wall experienced financial difficulties and was forced to fall back on her skills as an artist. Angus & Robertson, Ltd., her publishers at the time, provided her with work illustrating book jackets.
Suffering from depression and with failing health, Wall returned to New Zealand in 1937 where she became an illustrator for the New Zealand Herald and the Auckland Weekly News. Over the next few years both her health and her financial situation improved, aided no doubt by the publishing of The Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill in 1939. In July 1941 Wall moved back to Sydney and the country she loved so much, but her health quickly deteriorated and on 21 January 1942 she died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at her home in Cremorne
Cremorne, New South Wales
Cremorne is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Cremorne is located 6 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council....
. She was buried in Northern Suburbs cemetery.
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 Wall or her creation, Blinky Bill, 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/0015510.jpg.
