Hidden Gems

Do you like digging for treasure? Start a journey of discovery with Belle Alderman as she provides a window into the vibrant collection held by The National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature. In this fascinating post Belle presents the ‘research files’ held in the collection as hidden gems. 

 

Shhhh! Here is revealed one of Australia’s best kept secrets. The National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature holds 650+ ‘research files’ containing information about Australian children’s authors and illustrators. This collection began in the 1970s and continues to grow. There are literally thousands of reviews, interviews, articles, creators’ profiles and so much more. 

We have three types of research files:

·  Collection 1: contains material about authors and illustrators currently publishing Australian children’s books. These live in hanging files spanning 40 metres in a compactus. 

· Collection 2: contains material about authors and illustrators who are no longer publishing. This collection lives in two four-drawer filing cabinets.  

·  Collection 3: contains material about authors and illustrators just beginning their careers. Once they have published around 10 books or their work has generated commentary we undertake extensive research about their work and create a research file. This collection lives in three x four-drawer filing cabinets.

 

How these research files began

Back in 1974 Lu Rees, whom we claim as the NCACL’S founder, was involved with the CBCA ACT Branch. She thought it would be a good idea to collect such items for anyone interested. When this collection moved from her home to the Canberra College of Advanced Education (now the University of Canberra) in 1980, the collection held just over 1,000 Australian children’s books and 60 research files on authors and illustrators. Now in 2026, there are 650+ research files. 

 

Finding gems

We all have our favourite writers and illustrators but at NCACL we are always on the hunt for new creators. Support for budding creators includes Writers Centres throughout Australia, self-formed writers groups that encourage each other, experienced writers who offer courses, organisations like the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and centres like Book Links QLD in Queensland and Westwords in New South Wales. There are more.

 

We source many websites and databases, such as the excellent AustLit database to find material about creators’ work. Once sourced, we create one copy for research purposes, so avoid infringing copyright. Each item is labelled with one of our 30 categories of material. Voila! A new research file exists. 

 

From the collection on Narelle Oliver 

Part of the Leonie Norrington research file. Supported Dee Huxley
illustrations for two of Leonie's books

While we are doing this work we have discovered others very interested in Australian children’s literature. Many offer to help the NCACL collect material on authors and illustrators and send this material to us for our Research Files. We fondly call them our ‘Clippers’. They live all around Australia. Each Clipper for us sources material in different ways. The Book Muse has a very active reviewing blog. She collects material for her blog and then sends her paper copies of articles to us. Another clipper for us finds treasures at op shops about Australian children’s literature.

 

Interior view of Biccy's Op Shop, Brighton, Victoria

We invariably gather around as these padded paper bags and the occasional box arrives from one of our Clippers. A volunteer at our Centre goes through this material and assigns one of our 30 categories to each item. For example is the item an article by author/illustrator— label it A. Is it a Review—Label it H. Is the item a teaching guide— Label it AF and so on for each item.

 

These days we find authors and illustrators have their own websites which promote their work. We know that publishers strongly recommend their creators do just that. Here creators use a multitude of ways to promote their work. Many creators also use social media to promote their work. These too are good sources of material for NCACL’s research files.

 

The never-ending story

Recently we heard from Annette Macarthur-Onslow’s niece. She reported that Annette Macarthur-Onslow died on April 25 this year, aged 93. The niece holds all of Annette Macarthur-Onslow’s artworks for her picture books including drawings and edited drafts of her stories, correspondence with publishers – the story of the book. Would NCACL be interested in such a collection? Yes! We hold the complete works of Annette Macarthur-Onslow for young people including several in translation. Upon checking our Annette Macarthur-Onslow elderly research file, there for anyone interested is a rich, deep and fascinating collection. There are copious letters written by Annette Macarthur-Onslow, exchanges between the author and those managing our collection. There are copies of articles she wrote for journals and talks she gave around Australia. There are many reviews of her books. This research file provides rich insights into Annette Macarthur-Onslow and her work. 

 

The NCACL research files are an invaluable source of information about Australian children’s authors and illustrators. They provide insights into these creators’ works over time, the reception of these by the public and a deep insight into the creators themselves. Visitors from around Australia and the world visit the NCACL. Here they dive deep into the creator’s books. Those who want more pour over their research file. 

 

1st year Education students at the University of Canberra explore Freya Blackwood's
artwork files for illustrating My Two Blankest by Irena Kobold.  

The NCACL’s research files on Australian authors and illustrators began over 50 years. There are gems galore waiting for anyone interested. Perhaps one day a philanthropist will fund the digitisation of all these research files.

 

By Dr Belle Alderman AM

Director, National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature 

 

Editor’s note: I was astounded and amazed when privileged to see parts of this collection on A Magical Visit three years ago. It is meticulously documented to assist researchers and interested parties to delve into this treasure trove. 

Readers can help support this important work by  NCACL through membership and donations.

New book reviews and a peek at a personal book collection

This week Janet shares some of her favourite recent releases and also treats us with a glimpse of her personal book collection of Noah’s Ark Books – Wow! What an amazing array of beautiful and historic books she has gathered together.

I have some reviews and then a few books from one of my collections. Who doesn’t know the feeling that grips you when you see the right book? Not “I want”, but  “I must have”. That’s how collecting is – a visceral need to own that book. Not to complete the collection – it’s never complete – but to join the other books that have chosen to come home with you.

Reviews

Bear and Wolf, Daniel Salmieri, Enchanted Lion Books, 9781592702381, $30

This gentle lyrical picture book has soft illustrations in shades of rose, white and violet which imbue the whole with a sense of peace. We’re shown the quiet progress of a walk in friendship through the winter landscape, then the re-awakening of the pleasure of that friendship against the resurgence of life in spring. A beautiful book to treasure and share.
All ages.

Malamander, Thomas Taylor, Walker Books, 9781406389920, $17.99, May

“My name ‘s Herbert Lemon by the way. But most people call me Herbie. I’m the Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, as you can see by my cap.“ Thus begins a chilling, mysterious adventure in Eerie –On –Sea. Missing parents, courageous children, the frightening Boathook Man, and a terrifying sea monster, the malamander – all the elements needed for a satisfyingly scary novelAges 9+

How it Feels to Float, Helena Fox, Pan Macmillan Australia, 9781760783303, $17.99, May

This is a moving story of a teenager grappling with mental illness; Biz’s dad is with her, telling her things about her past – but he is dead, no-one else can see him, and she can’t tell anyone else her dark thoughts. She drops out of school, and is almost ready to float away herself, but the anchor of friends and family draw her back. This debut novel  is moving and sad, yet also life-affirming.Ages 14+ 

A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader, edited Maria Popova and Claudia Bedrick, Enchanted Lion Books, 9781592702282, $45

Including such luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Alain de Botton, Jane Goodall and Ursula Le Guin, this will to add depth to any school library - to dip into at class reading time, to browse through by yourself in a quiet moment. There are 256 entries from scientists, artists, philosophers, reflecting on the joy of reading and what it means to them, each with a facing illustration by a different artist  - including William Grill, Sean Tan, Mo Willems and Jon Klassen – that illuminate and add resonance the text.All ages

Janet’s Noah’s Ark Collection

I love and collect picture books, but it wasn’t until I had a Noah’s Ark book that I began to consider the joy of having many books on one subject - the diversity of illustrations brings such pleasure, and a sense of wonder that one idea can be presented in so many different ways, as this epic story has been for   hundreds of years.     

  

The first one I acquired was The Ark Book, Freda Derrick, 1920. I saw in it a secondhand shop in Cecil Court, London, and immediately needed it. But it was expensive, we were trying to stay within our holiday budget, and I resisted. Fast forward to 25th December, and there it was in my Christmas stocking. The beginning! This is a wonderful and amusing telling of the story; illustrations are naively charming, in bright colours, with some hilarious conversation bubbles from the animals. A highlight is the page showing the animals with Noah and family as they “jazzed up and down the Ark” to celebrate the rain stopping. “And if you don’t know what “Jazzing” is, ask anyone who remembers Armistice Night.”

Noah’s Ark, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015

This beautiful version, true to biblical language, has full page illustrations from, amongst others, a seventeenth century bible, an English tapestry, Courbet and Chagall. Sumptuous and splendid, irresistible.  The last pages have information on each illustration, and you can be delighted anew at the variety of styles that depict one story.

Noah And The Ark, Harold Jones and Kathleen Lines, 1961 is, by contrast, a quieter presentation, with blue washed illustrations reminiscent of Edward Ardizzone’s. It’s told in simple language, every page has a picture that is a pleasing addition to the text, with the cheerful, often smiling animals adding a touch of whimsy.

Noah’s Ark, Reinhard Herrmann illustrator, 1959This has the traditional text. Herrmann’s distinctive use of  flat bright colours will please those of us who enjoy a nostalgic look at picture books of the 1950s.

L’Arca di Noe, Andre Helle, this edition 1991.

Originally published in French in 1925,  I acquired this reprint in Italy. It’s a large hardback, but I had to make room in the suitcase for such a find. Illustrated in art deco style, in  colour,  and with other black text pictures, it has  information about the  animals – both  familiar and exotic -  written by Helle – that renders them alive and loveable.

The Puffin Noah’s Ark, John Miles, 1958

I don’t own this, but I really need it. Please help! Actually I need two copies – one for the Noah’s Ark collection, another to add to my set of old Picture Puffins – but that’s another story…

Janet

Janet Grecian
The Hobart Bookshop
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