Joan Phipson
Encyclopedia
Joan Margaret Phipson was an award-winning Australian children's writer. She lived on a farm in the Central Tablelands
of New South Wales
and many of her books evoke the stress and satisfaction of living in the Australian countryside, floods, bushfires, drought and all. Two of her novels, Good Luck to the Rider and The Family Conspiracy, won the Australian Children's Book of the Year Award
.
, on 16 November 1912, to English parents. She spent much of her childhood travelling between Australia, England and India. She attended the Frensham School
, where she later worked as a librarian and printer, setting up Frensham Press. She studied journalism and worked for Reuters
in London before the war. From 1941 to 1944 she served as a telegraphist
in the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force
.
She married Colin Fitzhardinge in 1944 and they settled in the NSW countryside. Her first children's book, about a girl on an Australian ranch who adopts an orphaned colt, was published in 1953, and she continued to write into the 1990s. She died on April 2, 2003, aged 90, survived by her children, Guy and Anna.
in 1953. The Family Conspiracy won the award in 1963, and also won the New York Herald Tribune Children's Spring Book Festival Award in 1964. The Watcher in the Garden received an International Board on Books for Young People
(IBBY) Honour Diploma. Hit and Run was chosen as a White Ravens Selection of the International Youth Library in Munich and was also chosen for the American Library Association
Notable Books list for children and for the ALA Best Books list for young adults. In 1987 Joan Phipson was awarded the Dromkeen Medal
for advancing children's literature in Australia, and in 1994 became a member of the Order of Australia
.
Maurice Saxby, the children's literature expert, wrote: "More than any other writers, Eleanor Spence
and Joan Phipson have perhaps helped guide the direction of Australian children's literature in the past 30 years. They have both expressed in their novels of family life not only social changes but the concerns and preoccupations of a growingly complex Australian society."
Most of her books were published in the UK and the US as well as Australia, and her work was translated into French, German, Swedish and Hungarian.
Central Tablelands
The Central Tablelands in New South Wales is an area that is between the Sydney Metropolitan Area and the Central West Slopes and Plains. This area has a part of the Great Dividing Range running through it, including the Blue Mountains...
of 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...
and many of her books evoke the stress and satisfaction of living in the Australian countryside, floods, bushfires, drought and all. Two of her novels, Good Luck to the Rider and The Family Conspiracy, won the Australian Children's Book of the Year Award
Cbca
CBCA can refer to:*Commercial Bank Centrafrique*Children's Book Council of Australia...
.
Biography
Joan Phipson was born in Warrawee, New South WalesWarrawee, New South Wales
Warrawee is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Warrawee is located 21 kilometres north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council...
, on 16 November 1912, to English parents. She spent much of her childhood travelling between Australia, England and India. She attended the Frensham School
Frensham School
Frensham School is an independent, non-denominational, secondary, day and boarding school for girls, located at Mittagong, south of Sydney, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia....
, where she later worked as a librarian and printer, setting up Frensham Press. She studied journalism and worked for Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
in London before the war. From 1941 to 1944 she served as a telegraphist
Telegraphist
Telegraphist is an operator who uses the morse code in order to communicate by land or radio lines. Telegraphists were indispensable at sea in the early day of Wireless Telegraphy. During the Great War the Royal Navy enlisted many volunteers as Telegraphists. Telegraphists are also called Telegraph...
in the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force
Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force
The Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force was formed in March 1941 after considerable lobbying by women keen to serve and by the Chief of the Air Staff who wanted to release male personnel serving in Australia for service overseas. The WAAAF was the first and largest of the World War II...
.
She married Colin Fitzhardinge in 1944 and they settled in the NSW countryside. Her first children's book, about a girl on an Australian ranch who adopts an orphaned colt, was published in 1953, and she continued to write into the 1990s. She died on April 2, 2003, aged 90, survived by her children, Guy and Anna.
Awards
Good Luck to the Rider was named Australian Children's Book of the YearCbca
CBCA can refer to:*Commercial Bank Centrafrique*Children's Book Council of Australia...
in 1953. The Family Conspiracy won the award in 1963, and also won the New York Herald Tribune Children's Spring Book Festival Award in 1964. The Watcher in the Garden received an International Board on Books for Young People
International Board on Books for Young People
The International Board on Books for Young People is a non-profit organization based in Switzerland committed to bringing books and children together.-History:...
(IBBY) Honour Diploma. Hit and Run was chosen as a White Ravens Selection of the International Youth Library in Munich and was also chosen for the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
Notable Books list for children and for the ALA Best Books list for young adults. In 1987 Joan Phipson was awarded the Dromkeen Medal
Dromkeen Medal
The Dromkeen Medal is a literary prize awarded annually by the Courtney Oldmeadow Children's Literature Foundation for those who have advanced children's literature in Australia.-List of prize winners:*1982 Lu Rees*1983 Maurice Saxby...
for advancing children's literature in Australia, and in 1994 became a member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
.
Literary significance
At a time when Australian literature was dominated by English and American books, Joan Phipson provided an authentic Australian voice. Her early books concerned family life in the country, animals, riding and sailing. Her first book with an urban setting was Peter and Butch. Later, in the 1970s and '80s, she handled a variety of challenging subjects such as the brutal racket in rare bird smuggling (Fly into Danger), urban breakdown (Keep Calm), nuclear warfare (Dinko) and teenage alienation (The Watcher in the Garden).Maurice Saxby, the children's literature expert, wrote: "More than any other writers, Eleanor Spence
Eleanor Spence
Eleanor Spence was an award-winning Australian author of novels for young adults and older children. Her books explore a wide range of issues, including Australian history, religion, autism, bigotry, materialism and alienation. She was a Member of the Order of Australia.-Biography:Eleanor Rachel...
and Joan Phipson have perhaps helped guide the direction of Australian children's literature in the past 30 years. They have both expressed in their novels of family life not only social changes but the concerns and preoccupations of a growingly complex Australian society."
Most of her books were published in the UK and the US as well as Australia, and her work was translated into French, German, Swedish and Hungarian.
Non-fiction
- Bennelong (Australians in History series) (1975)
- Contributed to: The Early Dreaming: Australian Children's Authors on Childhood (1980) - authors recall their own childhood