Dave Hartley, a descendant of the Barunggam people of the Darling Downs/Chinchilla regions of Queensland is Deputy Principal of a Primary School in Logan City, Queensland, and writer. Hartley has worked in education for many years and had worked across many year levels prior to entering into school administration. In 2009, Hartley was awarded 'Gold Coast Teacher of the Year'
As a writer, Hartley with his co-author Scott Prince, was awarded the Kuril Dhagun Prize in 2013, for their first children's book, Deadly D and Justice Jones: Making the Team. (Source: Brisbane Writers Festival website; North West Star newspaper website; State Library of Queensland websites).