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Ethel Turner

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Ethel Turner was a highly influential novelist and children's literature writer.

Ethel Turner 1912
Ethel Turner 1912

She was born Ethel Mary Burwell in Doncaster, England, on 24 January 1872. Her writing helped shape the landscape of Australian children's stories. She is best remembered for creating characters who were adventurous and independent. These children often faced difficult or "sticky" situations. They frequently solved these problems with very little help from adults. Her work remains a classic part of Australian literary history.

Turner's early life involved many family changes and moves. Her father died when she was only two years old. Her mother, Sarah Jane Burwell, eventually remarried Henry Turner. Henry had six children of his own. After Henry died suddenly, Sarah Jane was left with nine children and very little income. In 1879, the family moved from England to Australia.

Ethel Turner-H Cazneaux
Ethel Turner-H Cazneaux

Turner was educated at Sydney Girls High School, where she was one of the original thirty-seven pupils. She began her professional writing career at the age of eighteen.

Turner utilized several different methods to reach her young readers. She and her sister, Lillian, founded a journal for young people called *The Parthenon*. She also wrote regular columns for newspapers. For the *Illustrated Sydney News*, she used the pen name "Dame Durden." She later wrote for the *Australian Town and Country Journal* under that same name. These roles allowed her to practice her craft and build a connection with her audience. She eventually published more than forty novels during her long career.

Her literary output included many different types of stories. Her most famous work, *Seven Little Australians*, was published in 1894. This novel became an instant hit in both Australia and overseas. It focused on the lives of the Woolcot family in the 1880s. The family included seven mischievous and rebellious children. Turner wrote several sequels to this book, including *The Family at Misrule* (1895) and *Little Mother Meg* (1902). She also wrote a companion book titled *Judy and Punch* in 1928. Some of her books were serialized, such as her stories about a character called "the Cub."

Many of Turner's stories were deeply connected to her own life. Her novel *Three Little Maids*, published in 1900, was strongly autobiographical. It told the story of her family's migration from England to Sydney. She wrote her most famous novel while living in a large house called Woodlands. This house was located in Lindfield, which was considered the country at the time. Later in life, she lived in a house named Avenel in Mosman.

Ethel Turner-H Cazneaux
Ethel Turner-H Cazneaux

Turner lived to be 85 years old, passing away on 8 April 1958.

Turner's popularity led to several adaptations of her work for the screen. *Seven Little Australians* was made into an Australian feature film in 1939. In 1953, it was adapted into a television series in the United Kingdom. Later, in 1973, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation produced a ten-episode television series based on the book. These different versions helped keep her characters alive for new generations of viewers. Her daughter, Jean Curlewis, also became a writer of children's books. Jean wrote titles such as *The Ship That Never Set Sail* and *Beach Beyond*.

Today, Turner is honored with many prestigious recognitions in Australia. The Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature is awarded annually. This prize is part of the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards. Her name is also found in public spaces and transportation. Curlewis Crescent in Canberra is named for her and her husband, Herbert. Additionally, a river-class ferry on the Sydney Ferries network is named in her honor. These tributes reflect her status as one of Australia's best-loved authors.

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