Kaye Kessing facts for kids

Kaye Bronwyn Kessing (born 27 November 1950) is a talented writer and illustrator from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. She is famous for her children's books and big public artworks. One of her well-known artworks is the Coles Mural in Alice Springs.

Early Life and Nature's Call

Kaye Kessing grew up on a farm south of Burra in South Australia. This is where her love for nature began. She helped on the family farm and explored the nearby hills. There, she learned about the native animals and plants in her area.

In 1971, Kaye finished her studies at the Adelaide School of Art. She then moved to Alice Springs. She started working as an art and crafts teacher at Anzac Hill High School.

Adventures in the Northern Territory

Kaye quickly fell in love with the desert landscapes. She also loved the many different native animals and plants of the dry lands.

In 1972, Kaye moved to Amata. This is a remote community in the APY Lands of South Australia. For 18 months, she taught arts and crafts there. On weekends, she went hunting and collecting bush tucker with the local women. This helped her learn a lot more about plants and animals. She said they "chased goannas, dug for witchetty grubs and honey ants, collected quandongs, bush plums, figs, bush tomato and heaps more."

A few years later, Kaye started a business with her partner, Bob. They did sign writing, screen printing, and graphic art. Kaye used the local desert, plants, and animals in her designs. She created murals, posters, T-shirt designs, and even a coloring book. They also made a board game called On The Brink the fun endangered board game.

In 1981, Kaye and Bob designed and painted a famous mural. It is on the back wall of the Coles shopping center in Alice Springs. Many community volunteers helped them. Kaye also painted special 'story murals' in the Children's Ward at the Alice Springs Hospital.

Protecting Australian Animals

Kaye is very passionate about controlling feral animals. These are animals like cats, foxes, and rabbits that cause harm to native wildlife. She has written and performed many plays about native animals. These plays show the problems caused by feral animals.

In 1994, The Rabbit Free Australia Foundation asked Kaye for help. They wanted her to write and illustrate a book. The book would replace the Easter Rabbit with an Australian native animal. This would help people understand the damage rabbits do to Australia's environment.

Kaye co-wrote and illustrated the Easter Bilby picture book with Ali Garnett. This book became very popular. It grew into a series of bilby books, including The Easter Bilby's Secret.

More recently, Kaye published The Bilby's Ring Trilogy in 2015. This series tells adventure stories about native animals. It uses science facts to highlight Australian environmental issues. The books are light-hearted and include maps, songs, and illustrations.

Major Artworks

Kaye Kessing has created many large murals and paintings. Some of her most important works include:

• Murals in the Alice Springs Hospital Children's Ward.
• The large mural at the Coles Supermarket on Railway Terrace in Alice Springs.
• Artworks at the School of the Air in Alice Springs.
• The Battle for the Spinifex exhibition. This was a touring show of 11 big paintings. They told the story of how feral animals spread across dry parts of Australia. These paintings now belong to the people of Alice Springs. They can be used for educational purposes through the Alice Springs Town Council.