Mary Patchett
Description
Patchett, an only child, grew up on a cattle station near Texas in Queensland, enabling her to portray Australian animals realistically in their natural habitat and set her stories authoritatively. After working for five years as a features journalist for the Sun group of newspapers, she left to work in England as a freelance writer in 1931, returning for holidays. Her first published book Ajax the Warrior (1953), originally broadcast in 1952 on the BBC Children's Hour, was largely autobiographical. She continued to write occasionally for the show over the years, with her stories appearing in children's publications such as the BBC Children's Hour Annual, Look and Learn, Chucklers Annual, and A Bumper Book of Girls' Stories (1978). Mysterious Pool appeared first as a short story in the magazine John Bull. (From Librarything.com)
Books
Wild Brother
Mary Patchett was raised in the wild areas of Australia's Outback, and her knowledge of the terrain, weather, and creatures is very evident in her works. In "Wild Brother", she tells the tales of the people of the Outback, and those of the wildlife, especially the dingos, the golden wild dogs, hunted and trapped mercilessly for their ravages upon the sheep herds. What I like about this author's style is that she portrays nature (and man) as they are, without "Disney-fying" them. There is a cruel dingo hunter, who takes delight in enacting petty revenge upon animals, yet the other people, who also try to eliminate the wild dogs, do so without ill-will, but out of necessity.
Ajax the warrior
A young girl's adventures with her half dog/half Dingo companion, on a ranch in the Australian outback. This book is based upon the author's childhood.
Cry of the heart
A somber look at the life of a cattleman and his family, in the Australian outback. The author, Mary Elwyn Patchett, doesn't sugar-coat the harsh existence of people and animals in the unforgiving wilderness, but weaves a good story. I was reminded of "The Thorn Birds" as I read, another story full of the knowledge of the life people have and continue to live in many harsh corners of the world. If you can't handle how cruel man and "nature" can be, I would suggest you skip this book. However, in skipping "Cry of the Heart", you would miss a good "read". And you'd never meet Mu, and Juli.
Ajax, golden dog of the Australian bush
A young girl's adventures with her half dog/half Dingo companion, on a ranch in the Australian outback. This book is based upon the author's childhood.
Summer on Wild Horse Island
Chronicles the experiences of a family spending a summer camping on part of the Great Barrier Reef.
Warrimoo
Jeff James wants to follow in his father's footsteps, with a career in the Secret Service. However, in order to get a chance to join, he has to spend a year in preparation, and so Jeff chooses to see the Australian Outback, to meet the challenges he will encounter there.