The Elyne Mitchell Rural Women’s Writing Award commemorates internationally renowned Silver Brumby author Elyne’s life and work, and hopes to encourage women all over Australia to write their stories and send them in.
The Elyne Mitchell Rural Women’s Writing Award not only commemorates Elyne’s life and work, but it has also been established to encourage rural women to write their stories, fact or fiction.
2012 THEME ANNOUNCED!
The Theme for the 2012 Award is “Leaping Into The Future” so let your imagination go!
Elyne was born in 1913 in Melbourne. In 1935, she married Tom Mitchell, a barrister and later parliamentarian, and lived at Towong Hill, 10km from Corryong. Elyne was a keen sportswoman. She enjoyed skiing, perhaps most of all. Although she is remembered particularly for the Silver Brumby series of children’s books, she wrote other novels and non-fiction relating to the Snowy Mountains and family and military history.
Although interested in all facets of nature and particularly the Upper Murray region, Elyne had a soft spot for the Azure Kingfisher. She would often float in the lagoon, hoping that the kingfishers might forget she was there and she would catch a glimpse.
- an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Charles Sturt University (1993);
- Order of Australia Medal for services to literature (1990);
- Children’s Book Council awards (1959-1968).