Review

Kate Forsyth and Belinda Murrell tell the story of Australia's first children's author

By Stephanie Owen Reeder
January 30 2021 - 12:00am
Authors Kate Forsyth and Belinda Murrell. Picture: Supplied
Authors Kate Forsyth and Belinda Murrell. Picture: Supplied
  • Searching for Charlotte: The Fascinating Story of Australia's First Children's Author, by Kate Forsyth and Belinda Murrell.

A Mother's Offering to Her Children, written in the 1840s, was the first children's book published in Australia. It dealt with distinctly Australian themes and was attributed to "A Lady Long Resident in New South Wales". In the late 1970s, children's literature bibliographer Marcie Muir identified its author as Charlotte Barton - also known as Charlotte Waring Atkinson.

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