Hesba Fay Brinsmead
Encyclopedia
Hesba Fay Brinsmead was an Australian author of children's books and an environmentalist.
who left Sydney
for Java
(Indonesia
) soon after World War I. They took their three small children, one of whom was seriously ill, with them. On their return her father and his brothers built homes in the isolated area of the Blue Mountains where Brinsmead was born. They farmed in this beautiful place while the children grew up. Brinsmead was the youngest and, for several years, was the only child at home as her siblings were at school in town.
Whilst living in Melbourne
the ANZ bank near her home in the suburb of Nunawading allowed her to use a spare room on their premises. During her life she resided at various lengthy times in North Queensland, Melbourne, Tasmania, the West Australian outback, and in northern New South Wales. These places are all featured strongly in her novels.
on the eve of its destruction, chronicles the submergence and obliteration of the lake. Her 1983 book, I Will Not Say the Day Is Done (her only non-fiction/adult book) brought to life the struggle to save Lake Pedder. She was passionately consumed by the need to do something about environmental vandalism in Tasmania
. Her book Isle of the Sea Horse, released in 1969, grew out of her concern about the ecological devastation to the Great Barrier Reef
and, among other concerns, the plight of refugees. Her Longtime trilogy was set in, and inspired by her upbringing, in the Blue Mountains.
's Book of the Year Award (for Pastures of the Blue Crane in 1965 and Longtime Passing in 1972), and winner of the Dame Mary Gilmore
Medallion in 1965. Pastures of the Blue Crane was later made into a successful mini-series by ABC TV. Her fame from writing books allowed her to forge a separate but related career as a public speaker, speaking at conferences, seminars, meetings, school and public library events. Many of her over twenty books reached an international readership and were translated into Japanese, Italian, Czech, and German as well as being published in British, American and Australian editions.
In later life she retired to Terranora in northern NSW but even in her later years was an outspoken opponent of developers taking over the land. She stopped writing in the 1990s due to ill health. She had suffered from osteoporosis
all her life.
Upbringing
Brinsmead's parents, Ken and May, were missionaries for the Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
who left 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...
for Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
(Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
) soon after World War I. They took their three small children, one of whom was seriously ill, with them. On their return her father and his brothers built homes in the isolated area of the Blue Mountains where Brinsmead was born. They farmed in this beautiful place while the children grew up. Brinsmead was the youngest and, for several years, was the only child at home as her siblings were at school in town.
The writer
Brinsmead was determined to be a writer from an early age but had very little formal education due to her home's remote location. Her mother gave her much of her early education at home around their kitchen table. After completing some primary schooling by correspondence she attended a small church high school at Wahroonga, Sydney. Eventually she left home in her mid-teen and became a teacher. She taught in various places around Australia, at a one-teacher school, as a governess in the far west of NSW and in the Derwent Valley of Tasmania. She undertook a correspondence course in journalism whilst in her thirties. She had married Reg Brinsmead, when 20 years of age and had two sons. Her husband owned and managed a pest control business active in three states. Finding time to write or study was a struggle for Brinsmead as she always was kept busy with clerical tasks and arranging employees' food and accommodation needs. In order to find a place to write undisturbed, she managed to escape in various ways, such as to a caravan in the back yard and to coffee shops.Whilst living in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
the ANZ bank near her home in the suburb of Nunawading allowed her to use a spare room on their premises. During her life she resided at various lengthy times in North Queensland, Melbourne, Tasmania, the West Australian outback, and in northern New South Wales. These places are all featured strongly in her novels.
Influences and inspiration
Her novels, taken from her experiences and travels around Australia, were written for children and young adults; however, they expressed many themes that have gained more prominence in today's world - such as the fragility and beauty of the environment and indigenous areas and the need for their conservation, the effect of ecological damage, the plight of refugees and societies disaffected and the human cost of resource development. As examples, Echo in the Wilderness, set on Lake PedderLake Pedder
Lake Pedder was once a natural lake, located in the southwest of Tasmania, Australia but the name is now used in an official sense to refer to the much larger artificial impoundment and diversion lake formed when the original lake was expanded by damming in 1972 by the Hydro Electric Commission of...
on the eve of its destruction, chronicles the submergence and obliteration of the lake. Her 1983 book, I Will Not Say the Day Is Done (her only non-fiction/adult book) brought to life the struggle to save Lake Pedder. She was passionately consumed by the need to do something about environmental vandalism in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. Her book Isle of the Sea Horse, released in 1969, grew out of her concern about the ecological devastation to the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
and, among other concerns, the plight of refugees. Her Longtime trilogy was set in, and inspired by her upbringing, in the Blue Mountains.
Recognition and later life
She was friends with fellow well known children's writers, Nance Donkin and Lu Rees and, later, provided advice & support to younger writer Nette Hilton, after she moved to Northern New South Wales in 1976. Brinsmead was twice the winner of the Children's Book Council of AustraliaChildren's Book Council of Australia
The Children's Book Council of Australia is a not for profit organisation which aims to engage the community with literature for young Australians. The CBCA presents annual awards for books of literary merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children's literature.-Awards:The first...
's Book of the Year Award (for Pastures of the Blue Crane in 1965 and Longtime Passing in 1972), and winner of the Dame Mary Gilmore
Mary Gilmore
Dame Mary Gilmore DBE was a prominent Australian socialist poet and journalist.-Early life:Mary Jean Cameron was born on 16 August 1865 at Cotta Walla near Goulburn, New South Wales...
Medallion in 1965. Pastures of the Blue Crane was later made into a successful mini-series by ABC TV. Her fame from writing books allowed her to forge a separate but related career as a public speaker, speaking at conferences, seminars, meetings, school and public library events. Many of her over twenty books reached an international readership and were translated into Japanese, Italian, Czech, and German as well as being published in British, American and Australian editions.
In later life she retired to Terranora in northern NSW but even in her later years was an outspoken opponent of developers taking over the land. She stopped writing in the 1990s due to ill health. She had suffered from osteoporosis
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture is deteriorating, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered...
all her life.