Bruce, Minnie (Mary) Grant (1878 - 1958)

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.

Chronology

April 1895	Won first prize in the Melbourne Shakespeare Society's annual essay competition
December 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.'
December 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
1 July 1914	Returned to Australia and married at Holy Trinity Church, East Melbourne
4 August 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
11 November 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	Robin published
1922	Stone Axe of Burkamuka published
1922	Cousin from Town published
1923	Twins of Emu Plains published
1923	Hugh Stanford's Luck published
1924	Anderson's Jo published
1924	Billabong's Daughter published
1925	House of the Eagle published
1926	Golden Fiddles published
1926	Acting editor of Woman's World for six months
1926	Tower Rooms published
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

Board Member

• AIF Women's Association (1940 - 1946)

Membership

• Lyceum Club (Melbourne) (1912 - )

  Member of the Writers' Club which later merged with the Lyceum Club

Related Corporate Bodies

• Australian Women's National League (1904 - )

  Wrote patriotic verse which was performed at an Empire Day demonstration

  [1903 - ]

Book Sections

• Strahan, Lynne, 'Bruce, Minnie (Mary) Grant', in Nairn, Bede and Serle, Geoffrey (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic., pp. 452-453. [ Details... ]

See also

• Alexander, Joseph A (ed.), Who's who in Australia 1950, 14th edn, The Herald, Melbourne, 1950, 816 pp. [ Details... ]
• Australian National University, Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, 2006, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au. [ Details... ]