Acacia Terrace

by Barbara Ker Wilson, David Fielding (Illustrator)

A beautifully written history of a terrace of houses built in Sydney, Australia, in the 1860s and the moving story of the different generations of people who lived there. Full-color illustrations.

32 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Barbara Ker Wilson was born on 24 September 1929 in Sunderland, in the north of England. In 1964 she immigrated to Australia, living first in Adelaide, then Melbourne, then Sydney. She settled in Leura, in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

As a child she used to accompany her father to a large publishing office in London, to deliver corrected proofs of his latest engineering textbook, and she knew then that she wanted to work in the world of writing and publishing.
Her first 'successful' work, written when she was eight, was a play based on the coronation of King George VI; it was performed at her primary school in England.

The Second World War influenced her greatly, particularly the experience of living through air raids in London. With the end of the war came her first experience of travelling abroad; afterwards, she traveled extensively in Europe and Asia.

Winner of the Dromkeen Medal (1999).

Reviews

[Amanda Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short picture book designed for kids set in Sydney but with enough brief history of the gold rush, Ned Kelly's capture, the 1890's depression, both World wars and tells the story of a family through the generations coming and going.

[Oznasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australian history through the 'eyes' of a house in Sydney, illustrated with naive-style paintings.