Nan Chauncy was a prolific and beloved writer of children’s books. Born in England, she moved with her family to ‘Chauncy Vale’ in Bagdad, Tasmania, aged 12. The property, now a treasured nature reserve, is where she lived and drew inspiration throughout her prolific writing career.
Chauncy’s first novel was They Found a Cave (1947), which was made into a popular feature film in 1962. It’s the story of a quartet of plucky orphans who run away from tyrannical guardians to fend for themselves. In her second novel, World’s End was Home (1952), another resourceful orphan goes to live with a family in Tasmania’s remote southern wilderness.
Chauncy was to win the Australian Children’s Book of the Year Award three times, and she was the first Australian writer to be awarded the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Diploma of Merit for children’s literature. ‘No ranking in Australian children’s literature is too high for Nan Chauncy,’ wrote celebrated children’s author John Marsden. ‘She has created some of our most enduring stories and … most memorable characters.’
