Seven Little Australians facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Seven Little Australians

Cover of the 16th edition, 1912, publisher Ward Lock & Co, illustrations by J. Macfarlane
Author	Ethel Turner
Country	Australia
Language	English
Genre	Children's literature
Publisher	Ward, Lock and Bowden
Publication date	1894
Media type	Print (hard~ & paperback)
Pages	240 pp
ISBN	0-554-31409-6
Followed by	The Family at Misrule

Seven Little Australians is a super popular Australian book for kids, written by Ethel Turner. It came out way back in 1894. The story mostly happens in Sydney in the 1880s.

It's all about the fun and sometimes tricky adventures of the seven Woolcot children. They live with their strict army dad, Captain Woolcot, and their kind young stepmother, Esther.

Ethel Turner wrote this book in 1893. She was living in a place called Lindfield, which was more like the countryside back then. The nature around her home often inspired her stories. The book's original name was 'Seven Pickles'!

This book is really special because it was the only Australian book to be printed non-stop for 100 years. You can even see the original handwritten story online at the State Library of New South Wales.

Seven Little Australians has been turned into many other things. There's been a movie, two TV shows, and even stage plays and a musical!

Meet the Woolcot Kids

The story is all about the seven Woolcot children. Here they are, from oldest to youngest:

• Meg (Margaret), 16: She's the oldest sister. Meg is a bit dreamy and romantic. She tries to help look after the younger kids.
• Pip (Philip), 14: He's the oldest boy. Pip is good-looking and smart, but he often gets into trouble.
• Judy (Helen), 13: Judy is full of ideas and very lively. She's often Pip's partner in their mischief.
• Nell (Elinor), 10: She's a beautiful and gentle child.
• Bunty (John), 6: The book says he's "fat and very lazy." Bunty can be a bit selfish, but he really loves his family.
• Baby (Winifred), 4: She's the best-behaved of all the children. She was very young when her birth mother passed away.
• The General (Francis Rupert Burnand): He's the youngest, a baby. He is Esther's only child, making him the half-brother to the other kids.

More Woolcot Family Stories

Ethel Turner wrote three more books about the Woolcot family!

• The Family at Misrule: This book tells what happens to the family five years later. They even have a new baby girl named Esther.
• Judy and Punch: This story follows Judy's adventures at boarding school. She meets a boy named Punch on the train.
• Little Mother Meg: This book is about Meg becoming a mother herself. It also tells about Peter (the General) and Essie (baby Esther) exploring their neighbors' garden.

From Book to Screen and Stage

Seven Little Australians has been made into many different shows!

Early Adaptations

• Stage Play (1914): The book was first turned into a play by Beaumont Smith.
• First Film (1939): The first movie version came out in 1939. It was filmed in Sydney.
• BBC TV Series (1953): A 6-part TV show was made by the BBC in 1953.

Popular TV Series (1973)

The most famous adaptation is the 10-episode TV series made by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1973. This show was very true to the book.

• Differences: In the book, Judy was thin, but in the show, she was more solid. Meg had long, dark hair in the show, but it was long and blonde in the book.
• Music: The music for the TV series was created by Bruce Smeaton.
• DVD: You can even find this series on DVD!

Stage Musical (1988)

A fun musical show started in Melbourne and Sydney in 1988. Now, many local musical groups and high schools love to perform it!

Cast Members

Here are some of the actors who played the characters in the 1939 film and the 1973 TV show: