Born in Leeton, New South Wales, Australia, at the height  of the Great Depression, my early childhood memories are of camping out in the bush, meals cooked on a campfire, and travelling about in an old motor car.  Mum and Dad separated when I was seven, and the rest of my growing up was done in boarding schools. I graduated from Wollongong High School with the Intermediate Certificate,  and worked in a photographer's studio until my marriage, at age nineteen, in 1953. Blessed with four sons. After banging my head against a brick wall in many and varied pursuits, including typiste, farmer's wife, artist, and school teacher, I finally discovered the niche I was always meant to occupy, and I wrote my first novel, Larsson's Legend. A major influence in my life was my Swedish grandfather, and my Irish grandmother. Being brought up in boarding schools, holidays at my grandparents home are strong memories for me, as are the stories about ships and the sea as told to me by Grandpa. Another strong inflluence was the writing of Charles Dickens.  You might say that he was my hero, literarily speaking.  I identified strongly with David Copperfield, especially his years in boarding school.  My first novel Larsson's Legend, has now been released, and I have already planned the sequel, and several other books.  Writing is so much fun!  

I attended Wollongong High School, graduating in 1950. I entered Newcastle University at the age of 60, and earned a bachelor's degree in visual art and English. (B.A.V.A.Dip.Ed.)