Colleen McCullough facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Colleen McCullough
Born	(1937-06-01)1 June 1937 Wellington, New South Wales, Australia
Died	29 January 2015(2015-01-29) (aged 77) Norfolk Island, Australia
Occupation	Novelist, neuroscientist
Genre	Fiction, fantasy, drama
Spouse	Cedric Newton Ion-Robinson

Colleen McCullough-Robinson (born June 1, 1937 – died January 29, 2015) was a famous Australian author. She wrote many popular books that were read all over the world.

About Colleen McCullough

Colleen McCullough was born in 1937. Her parents were James and Laurie McCullough. Her mother had some Māori family from New Zealand. Colleen's family moved around a lot when she was a child. She loved to read books. She went to Holy Cross College for her schooling.

Early Career and Science

Colleen first worked as a teacher, a librarian, and a journalist. She started studying medicine at the University of Sydney. But she got a skin problem called dermatitis. Doctors told her not to become a medical doctor. So, she changed her studies to neuroscience. This is the study of the brain and nervous system. She then worked at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.

In 1963, Colleen moved to the United Kingdom. She worked at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. There, she met a professor from Yale University in the United States. He offered her a job to do research at Yale. Colleen worked at Yale Medical School for ten years, from 1967 to 1976. She taught and did research in the brain science department. It was during this time at Yale that she wrote her first two books.

Becoming a Full-Time Writer

Because her first books were very successful, Colleen decided to stop being a doctor. She became a full-time writer. In the late 1970s, she lived in London and in Connecticut, USA. Later, she chose to live on Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean. This is where she met her husband, Ric Robinson. They got married on April 13, 1983.

A painting of Colleen McCullough was chosen as a finalist for the Archibald Prize in 1984. This prize is for the best portrait of an important person in art, writing, science, or politics.

Colleen did a lot of research for her books about ancient Rome. Because of her deep knowledge, Macquarie University gave her a special degree in 1993. It was called a Doctor of Letters. She was also a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. She was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Colleen McCullough passed away on January 29, 2015, on Norfolk Island. She was 77 years old.

Colleen's Books

Colleen McCullough wrote many different kinds of books. Some were love stories, some were historical, and some were mysteries.

Novels

• Tim (1974)
• The Thorn Birds (1977)
• An Indecent Obsession (1981)
• A Creed for the Third Millennium (1985)
• The Ladies of Missalonghi (1987)
• The Song of Troy (1998)
• Morgan's Run (2000)
• The Touch (2003)
• Angel Puss (2004)
• On, Off (2006)
• The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet (2008)
• "Too Many Murders" (2010)

Biography

• The Courage and the Will: The Life of Roden Cutler VC (1999) - This book tells the true story of a brave person.

The Masters of Rome Series

This is a series of historical novels about ancient Rome.

1. The First Man in Rome (1990)
2. The Grass Crown (1991)
3. Fortune's Favorites (1993)
4. Caesar's Women (1996)
5. Caesar (1997)
6. The October Horse (2002)
7. Antony and Cleopatra (2007)

Carmine Delmonico Series

This is a series of mystery novels.

1. On, Off (2006)
2. Too Many Murders (December 2009)
3. Naked Cruelty (2010)

Books Made into Movies and TV Shows

Several of Colleen McCullough's books were made into movies or TV shows.

• Tim - became a movie in 1979. It starred Mel Gibson.
• The Thorn Birds - became a very popular TV miniseries in 1983. It starred Richard Chamberlain.
• An Indecent Obsession - was made into a movie in 1985.
• The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years - another TV miniseries in 1996.
• Mary & Tim - a 1996 TV movie also based on the novel Tim.

Honors and Awards

Colleen McCullough received special recognition for her work. In 2006, she was given the title of Officer of the Order of Australia. This award was for her great contributions as an author. It also recognized her support for education, science, and charities around the world.

Images for kids

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  A close-up of Colleen McCullough's headstone in Emily Bay Cemetery, Norfolk Island, 2015.

See also

In Spanish: Colleen McCullough para niños