| Book Illustrations - Close up
 The
Whalers is a story related by Percy Mumbulla
who was born at Wallaga Lake on the South Coast of NSW in
the early part of the century. Percy was well renowned
for his stories and his politics. He fought for Aboriginal
Land Rights for most of his adult life.
During the 40's & 50's Percy told
his stories to Roland Robinson who dedicated his life to accurately
recording Aboriginal stories.
In 1996 I had the pleasure to illustrate
Percy's story. I found the images flowed naturally as I
am very at home in and around the water and many of my paintings
revolve around an aquatic theme - See
Paintings Page -
Following are some of the illustrations
from 'The Whalers'. These illustrations are now the property
of the National Maritime Museum of Australia and were exhibited
later in 2002.
'The Whalers' was shortlisted for an
award by 'The Children's Book Council of Australia' in 1997.
 Dirrangun is
a story related by Lucy Daley and Eustan Williams. Gran Daley
as she was known was the Bundjalung custodian of language and
stories. She lived in Baryulgil mission in northern NSW, which
is a settlement very close to my own family's land at Lionsville.
As a Bundjalung woman this story has a special significance to
me.
By illustrating Gran's story I feel
that I have contributed to the cultural maintenance of my area.
Dirrangun is a creation story that directly relates to the formation
of land and water ways in the Bundjalung and Githavul language
groups.
Following are some of the illustrations
from 'Dirrangun'.
 An Australian abc of Animals Was a very interesting book to illustrate as we were trying to find Aboriginal words for the images as well. As the Aboriginal languages in Australia are so diverse we found it almost impossible to reach a decision on the correct spellings, so the book was produced in English only. The book has been nominated for the Children's Book Council Award: Picture Book of the Year for Younger Readers 2005.
Big Rain Coming was a great story to illustrate. The earth tones of the dry outback are very inspirational and the main character of Stephen reminds me of my Uncle Pat. Drought and rain are big factors in the lives of my people.
 Dan's Grandpa
Dan has a special relationship with his grandpa and is sad when he goes away. But Grandpa promised that he would always be with him, so Dan's spirits are lifted when an unexpected messenger arrives to show that he is keeping his promise! Animals play an important role in the lives of Aboriginal people whether it be happy or sad.
 In Your Dreams
Susie had a wonderful, colourful dream but couldn't work out what it all meant. When she asked her grandmother, the wise old woman said, ‘A dream is special, with special meaning just for you. So it's best if you can work it out for yourself ...' which is just what Susie did, with surprising results!
When I first read this book I felt that I could really relate to it through my own childhood experiences.
 Just a Little Brown Dog is a heart-warming story written by my good friend Sally Morgan about a naughty brown puppy who beats the odds in finding a new home and at the same time fills a big gap in a little boy's life.
How the First Children Learnt to Surf is one of the books I am working on at the moment. It is the story of Malu Kangaroo who travelled to the sea in search of surf. The story was written by Judy Morecroft and is dedicated to the memory of Malu Bellear.
It is yet to be published.
 Minah was endorsed by the Umbarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre specifically for the continuation of oral history from the south coast of NSW through the important voice of Percy Mumbulla.
 Sun Mother Wakes the Earth was in interesting story to illustrate as it deals specifically with the creation of indigenous Australia . It is a comparative story to the biblical narration of Genesis. I find this to be a fascinating topic as there are many disregarded religious stories by aboriginal people that everyone would benefit from knowing more about.
 Two Hand Together by Dianna Kidd is a story that is very familiar to me.The book was awarded Winner 2001 Children's Book Council Awards ; Book of the Year for Younger Readers.
Copyright Bronwyn
Bancroft
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