The Australian Women's Register

Summary

The author of the Billabong series of books, Mary Grant Bruce began writing poetry and short stories at the age of seven. Later she became editor of her school magazine. After completing her matriculation Bruce moved to Melbourne where she worked as an editor and wrote weekly stories for the Leader children’s page. Her first book A Little Bush Maid, originally a serial, was published in 1910. Between 1910 and 1942 she published 37 children’s novels. During her career Bruce was a contributor to Blackwood’s Magazine, Morning Post, Daily Mail, Windsor Magazine, Cassell’s Magazine, Strand, Argus, Age, Herald (Melbourne), Australasian, Leader, Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney Mail, Lone Hand Auckland Weekly Press, Woman’s World, West Australian and the British Australasian. During World War II Bruce worked for the AIF Women’s Association, sold her autograph at charity auctions for the war effort and broadcast a series of talks for the Department of Information.

Events

• 1895

  Won first prize in the Melbourne Shakespeare Society’s annual essay competition

• 1895

  Passed the matriculation examination with honours in English, history and botany

• 1898

  Her story Her Little Lad was published in the Christmas supplement of the Melbourne Leader under the signature ‘M.G.H.’

• 1900

  Her story Dono’s Christmas’ published in supplement of the Melbourne Leader under the pseudonym ‘Coolibah’

• 1910

  Little Bush Maid published

• 1912

  Mates at Billabong published

• 1912

  Timothy in Bushland published

• 1913

  Glen Eyre published

• 1913

  Norah of Billabong published

• 1913 - 1914

  Went to London where she wrote articles for the Daily Mail and met her future husband, distant cousin, Major George Evans Bruce

• 1914

  From Billabong to London published

• 1914

  Grays Hollow published

• 1914

  Returned to Australia and married at Holy Trinity Church, East Melbourne

• 1914

  After the outbreak of World War I sailed on the troop-ship Nestor to Cork and during the next three years ‘produced two babies and four books’

• 1915

  Jim and Wally published

• 1916

  Captain Jim published

• 1917

  Dick published

• 1917

  Possum published

• 1918

  Dick Lester of Kurrajong published

• 1918

  Following the war, returned to Australia to settle at Traralgon, Gippsland

• 1919

  Back to Billabong published

• 1920

  The Tower Rooms published

• 1921

  The Houses of the Eagle published

• 1922

  Cousin from Town published

• 1922

  Robin published

• 1922

  Stone Axe of Burkamuka published

• 1923

  Hugh Stanford’s Luck published

• 1923

  Twins of Emu Plains published

• 1924

  Anderson’s Jo published

• 1924

  Billabong’s Daughter published

• 1925

  House of the Eagle published

• 1926

  Golden Fiddles published

• 1926

  Tower Rooms published

• 1926

  Acting editor of Woman’s World for six months

• 1927

  Moved to Omagh, Ireland

• 1928

  Billabong Adventurers published

• 1929

  The Happy Traveller published

• 1931

  Road to Adventure published

• 1933

  Bill of Billabong published

• 1934

  Seahawk published

• 1935

  Wings Above Billabong published

• 1936

  Circus Ring published

• 1937

  Billabong Gold published

• 1938

  Told by Peter published

• 1939

  Son of Billabong published

• 1939

  Returned to Australia

• 1940

  Peter and Co. published

• 1941

  Karalta published

• 1942

  Billabong Riders published

• 1948

  Following death of her husband (1946) Bruce went back to England

• 2002

  Inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women