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Australian Woman's Mirror, 22 May 1928, p.12
Mary Kelaher Mary Kelaher i(A11336 works by) (birth name: Mary Ellen Cross)
Born: Established: 1895 Moree, Moree - Mungindi - Boggabilla area, Far North NSW, New South Wales, ; Died: Ceased: 1943 Sydney, New South Wales,
Gender: Female
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BiographyHistory

Mary Kelaher was born and grew up on a property in the Moree district. Both her father and her husband's father were pioneers of the district. She was educated at the Loreto convent at Normanhurst, married at eighteen and had three children, two sons and a daughter.

Kelaher attributed her desire to write to the fact that her father was always reading. She published her first story in The Sydney Mail when she was about twelve and won an award in a short story competition run by a country newspaper. Before her move to Sydney in 1925 she published satirical articles and verse on a fairly regular basis, most of which appeared in The Evening News.

She continued to write after her move to Sydney, although she stated that her domestic occupations meant she was unable to write as much as she would have liked to. She published short stories, serials and poetry in The Australian Woman's Mirror and also produced several novels. Kelaher described herself as a slow and careful writer who was critical of her own work.

Most Referenced Works

Notes

  • In Apron Strings Kelaher is listed as the author of 'Lost Enchantment' - not traced.
Last amended 25 Aug 2017 13:47:47
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