Hesba Fay Brinsmead facts for kids

Hesba Fay Brinsmead (born Hesba Fay Hungerford on 15 March 1922) was an amazing Australian writer. She wrote many popular books for children and young adults. Hesba was also a strong voice for protecting our planet. She passed away on 24 November 2003.

About Hesba Brinsmead

Her Early Life

Hesba Brinsmead was born in a very quiet and isolated area of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. Her parents, Edward and May, were missionaries. They had lived in Java, Indonesia, before Hesba was born.

When they returned to Australia, Hesba's father and his brothers built homes in the mountains. This beautiful, remote place was where Hesba grew up. For several years, she was the only child at home. Her older brothers and sisters were away at school in town.

Becoming a Writer

From a young age, Hesba knew she wanted to be a writer. Because her home was so far away, she didn't have much formal schooling. Her mother taught her a lot at their kitchen table.

Later, she did some primary school lessons by mail. She also attended a small church high school in Sydney. In her mid-teens, she left home and became a teacher. She taught in different places across Australia. These included a small one-teacher school and as a governess.

When she was 20, Hesba married Reg Brinsmead. They had two sons. Reg owned a business that controlled pests. Hesba often helped with office work and organizing things for employees. Finding time to write was a challenge! She would sometimes escape to a caravan in her backyard. Other times, she would write in coffee shops to find peace.

Hesba lived in many different parts of Australia. These included North Queensland, Melbourne, and Tasmania. She also lived in the West Australian outback and northern New South Wales. All these places later became important settings in her books.

Stories Inspired by Australia

Hesba's novels were written for young people. They often shared important messages about the world. She wrote about the beauty of nature and why we need to protect it. Her books also explored the impact of environmental damage. She cared deeply about the land and its original inhabitants.

For example, her book Echo in the Wilderness is set around Lake Pedder in Tasmania. It tells the story of the lake being flooded and destroyed. Hesba was very passionate about stopping harm to the environment in Tasmania. Her non-fiction book, I Will Not Say the Day Is Done, also shared the fight to save Lake Pedder.

Another book, Isle of the Sea Horse, was written because she worried about the Great Barrier Reef. It also touched on the struggles of refugees. Her Longtime series of books was inspired by her own childhood. These stories are set in the Blue Mountains.

Awards and Recognition

Hesba Brinsmead became good friends with other famous children's writers. These included Nance Donkin and Lu Rees. She also helped and advised younger writers.

She won the Children's Book Council of Australia's Book of the Year Award twice. She won for Pastures of the Blue Crane in 1965. She won again for Longtime Passing in 1972. Pastures of the Blue Crane was even made into a TV mini-series!

Her fame as a writer allowed her to become a public speaker. She spoke at many events, schools, and libraries. More than twenty of her books were read all over the world. They were translated into Japanese, Italian, Czech, and German.

In her later years, Hesba lived in Terranora. She continued to speak out against developers. She didn't want them to take over natural land. She stopped writing in the 1990s because of health problems. She had suffered from osteoporosis for most of her life.

Books by Hesba Brinsmead

• Pastures of the Blue Crane – Brinsmead, Hesba Fay; illustrated by Annette Macarthur-Onslow – London: Oxford University Press, 1964
• Season of the Briar – H. F. (Hesba Fay) Brinsmead – Ill:William Papas Oxford University Press 1965
• Beat of the City – H.F. Brinsmead; illustrated by William Papas. London : Oxford University Press, 1966
• A Sapphire for September – Brinsmead, Hesba Fay – Oxford University Press London 1967
• Isle of the Sea Horse – Brinsmead, H.F. (Hesba). Illusts. by Peter Farmer Oxford University Press London 1969
• Who Calls From Afar? – H.F. Brinsmead ; illustrated by Ian Ribbons. London : Oxford University Press, 1971
• Longtime Passing – Brinsmead, Hesba Fay. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1972
• Echo in the Wilderness – Brinsmead, Hesba Fay Graham Humphreys Oxford University Press Oxford 1972
• The Ballad of Benny Perhaps – Brinsmead, Hesba Fay Brinsmead, Hesba Fay Cassell & Co Ltd North Melbourne 1977 – SBN 072690449X
• The Wind Harp – Hesba Brinsmead: Ill: Peter Dickie – Pub : Cassell Australia, Stanmore NSW 1977
• The Honey Forest – Brinsmead, Hesba; illustrated by Louise Hogan – Sydney : Hodder and Stoughton, 1979
• Once There Was a Swagman – Brinsmead, Hesba Fay. Ringwood, Vic : Puffin Books, 1981, c. 1979
• Time for Tarquinia – Brinsmead, Hesba Fay.; illustrated by Bruce Riddell. Sydney : Hodder & Stoughton, 1981
• Longtime Dreaming – Hesba Brinsmead ; Illustrations – Ken Hungerford London; Sydney Angus & Robertson, 1982
• Christmas at Longtime – Brinsmead, Hesba Fay; illustrated by John Caldwell. . London & Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1983
• I Will Not Say the Day Is Done – Hesba Brinsmead- with Ken Hungerford. Chippendale, N.S.W. : Alternative Publishing Cooperative, 1983.(Non-fiction)
• Someplace Beautiful – Hesba Brinsmead ; illustrated by Betina Ogden. Sydney : Hodder and Stoughton, 1986
• The Sandforest – H. F. (Hesba Fay) Brinsmead 1922– Puffin Paperback 1987
• When You Come to the Ferry – Hesba Brinsmead ; illustrated by Dee Huxley. Sydney : Hodder and Stoughton, 1988
• Bianca and Roja – Brinsmead, Hesba Fay; illustrations by Andrew McLean. Allen & Unwin Pty., Limited North Sydney 1990
• The Silver Train to Midnight and other Stories – Brinsmead, Hesba Fay.; illustrated by Sandra Laroche. Sydney : Margaret Hamilton Books, 1993