Cirrus@Austlit

'Ellis Rowan was a superbly talented and highly skilled Australian artist of the late 19th and early 20th century. In a time when women had little independence and few opportunities to explore the world around them, Ellis showed great courage and travelled through Australia and New Guinea on her own. Her mission was to record the exotic beauty of the plants, flowers and birds which she saw around her.

'‘Wildflower’ is an introduction to the inspirational life and exquisite artwork of Ellis Rowan.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Nancy Wake, a true heroine who worked for the French Resistance and Allies in World War II as a courier, was one of the most wanted spies by the German Gestapo. At 16, Nancy ran away from home to train as a nurse in the Australian outback. A gift of 200 pounds from an aunt saw her set sail for overseas at 19 and in England she trained as a journalist. As a foreign correspondent in Paris, she was soon reporting on the ominous signs of Germany’s increasing antagonism to Jews, gypsies and anyone they considered different. As she witnessed the rise of Hitler, Nancy decided to fight for the people who were being persecuted. She risked her life numerous times and after the war was awarded for her bravery by many countries.

'Cassy Liberman’s faithful retelling of Wake’s life celebrates her amazing vitality, self-belief and moral strength, and street artist Lucy Desbordes’s glamorous and bold illustrations perfectly portray this amazing woman.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'This is the first picture book about Nellie Melba and it elegantly portrays a yesteryear of privilege. It was a time when women weren’t encouraged to pursue a career or even become educated, but Nellie’s father, luckily, had different views and so she was sent to a progressive girls’ school. Music was also a big part of her life and, enriched by her mother’s passion for it, she grew up believing in her talent. She had a solid foundation for success and with hard work and taking every opportunity that came her way she became one of Australia’s most famous women.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Creating Cuddlepie tells the of the life of May Gibbs, from her early childhood in England through to her journey to a new home in Australia, and her many creative achievements along the way that culminated in the creation of the gumnut babies: Cuddlepot, Snugglepie and a host of other enchanting bush characters. It describes her early days as a young artist, achieving acclaim in particular for her botanical artwork, and her ventures into pictorial journalism, political cartoons, fashion, and feminist causes. With the advent of World War I, she created postcards and other illustrated ephemera that would bring great comfort to the troops at war with their messages of heartfelt support and greetings from home. Her earliest visions for the famous gumnut babies came to her in a dream and would be cherished by generations of children and adults to come. More than 100 years since the birth of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, May Gibbs remains one of the greatest Australian illustrators and story-tellers of all time.'  (Publication summary)

'In the 1920s, after the austerity of World War I, women celebrated their new-found freedoms through fashion. Their role in society had changed for good, and the constraints of a bygone era, like those of a corset, were joyously discarded. Nowhere was this more so than Paris. In far-away Melbourne, women craved these new found freedoms. It was against this backdrop that Lillian Wightman opened her fashion atelier, Le Louvre, bringing to Melbourne a Parisienne mood that nurtured women. Women flocked to Le Louvre. It indulged them and cossetted them and gave them the opportunity to express themselves and enjoy their fledgling independence. Lillian’s daughter Georgina Weir would later assume the reins, bringing her own dramatic change by introducing ready-to-wear fashion to Melbourne. The days of fittings, made-to-order outfits and couture began to fade, but the Le Louvre benchmarks of personal attention, individuality, quality, and style did not. Lillian Wightman and Georgina Weir are the visionary women behind the icon Le Louvre. For nearly a century, Le Louvre has helped to shape and define the spirit of Melbourne-for fashion at this level is an art from that reflects and can also progress the society in which it exists.'  (Publication summary)