Dorothy Wall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorothy Wall
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| Born | 12 January 1894 Kilbirnie, New Zealand |
| Died | 21 January 1942 (aged 48) Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Author, illustrator |
| Nationality | New Zealander Australian |
| Period | 1920–1942 |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Spouse | Andrew Delfosse Badgery (married 4 November, 1921, St. Albans Anglican Church, Five Dock, New South Wales) |
| Children | Peter (son) |
Dorothy Wall (born January 12, 1894 – died January 21, 1942) was a talented writer and artist from New Zealand. She created wonderful children's books. Dorothy Wall is best known for her character, Blinky Bill. Blinky Bill is a mischievous koala who acts like a human. He starred in her famous books. These included Blinky Bill: the Quaint Little Australian (1933), Blinky Bill Grows Up (1934), and Blinky Bill and Nutsy (1937). Many of her books were published by Angus & Robertson.
Contents
Dorothy Wall's Life Story
Dorothy Wall was born in Kilbirnie, New Zealand. Her birthday was January 12, 1894. Her parents, Charles and Lillian Wall, were from England. When she was just ten years old, Dorothy won special awards for her art. This showed her talent early on.
Moving to Australia and Early Career
In 1914, Dorothy moved to Australia. She started working for The Sun newspaper in Sydney. In 1920, her very first children's story was published. It was called "Tommy Bear and the Zookies." The next year, she married Andrew Delfosse Badgery. Also in 1921, Dorothy became well-known for her drawings. She illustrated a book called "The Crystal Bowl" by J.J. Hall.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Dorothy kept working as an illustrator. She drew pictures for many books. Her most famous book, Blinky Bill: The Quaint Little Australian, came out in 1933.
Blinky Bill's Popularity and Challenges
In 1934, Dorothy and Andrew divorced. She then moved with her son to Warrimoo. This town is in the beautiful Blue Mountains. There, she wrote two more Blinky Bill books. These were Blinky Bill Grows Up and Blinky Bill and Nutsy.
Even though Blinky Bill was very popular, Dorothy often faced money problems. She had to use her art skills to earn extra income. Her publishers, Angus & Robertson, Ltd., gave her work drawing pictures for book covers.
Later Years and Legacy
Dorothy faced some health challenges. In 1937, she returned to New Zealand. There, she worked as an illustrator for newspapers. These included the New Zealand Herald and the Auckland Weekly News. Over the next few years, her health and money situation got better. This was helped by the publishing of The Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill in 1939.
In July 1941, Dorothy Wall moved back to Sydney. She loved Australia very much. However, her health quickly got worse. She passed away on January 21, 1942, from pneumonia. She was buried in the Northern Suburbs cemetery.
Dorothy Wall's Books
Dorothy Wall created many beloved children's books. Here are some of her well-known works:
- The Story of Tommy Bear and the Zookies (1920)
- The Rainy Day : Gift Book of the Commonwealth Savings Bank of Australia (1925)
- Blinky Bill: The Quaint Little Australian (1933)
- The Tale of Bridget and the Bees (1934)
- Blinky Bill Grows Up (1934)
- Brownie : the Story of a Naughty Little Rabbit (1935)
- Stout Fellows : Chum, Angelina Wallaby, Um-Pig and Flip (1936)
- Blinky Bill and Nutsy: Two Little Australians (1937)
- The Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill (1939)
- Blinky Bill Joins the Army (1940)
- Blinky Bill's Dress-Up Book (1942)
- Blinky Bill's ABC Book (1947)
- A Tiny Story of Blinky Bill (1947)
- Horrie Kiwi and the Kids (1983)
Honoring Dorothy Wall
In 1985, Australia Post released a special postage stamp. This stamp honored Dorothy Wall or her famous character, Blinky Bill. It was part of a series of stamps celebrating children's books. This shows how important her work became in Australia.
