Hilda Maggie Bridges was a Tasmanian author who also wrote under the name of Joan Gardiner. In her lifetime, Bridges wrote 13 novels, 3 children’s tales and hundreds of shorts stories and sketches.
Her work evokes Tasmania’s east coast with mystery stories that featured smugglers, caves and hidden treasure. Her short stories appeared in The Sydney Mail, The Weekly Times, The Bulletin and The Australasian. Bridges’ writing accomplishments have been overshadowed by her younger brother Roy who was also a prolific Tasmanian writer. They shared a secluded and somewhat impoverished life on a property in Sorell inherited from their uncle.
Hilda’s novel about firewood cutters, Men Must Live (1938), displays her concerns over tree clearing and love for the natural environment. She is credited with 101 published works while also having limited time available to write, acting as her brother’s housekeeper, secretary, literary assistant and lifelong companion.
