Cirrus@Austlit

Anne Brooksbank was born in Melbourne and studied at Melbourne University, where she graduated with an MA in English Literature. She also studied painting at the National Gallery School, but then embarked on a writing career. Her novels for young people include Archer (1985), On Loan (1990), and Mother's Day (2005) (the former two based on her own screenplays), and her novels for adults include Mad Dog Morgan (1976), All My Love (1991), and Marriage Acts (2000) (both the first and third of which were based on screenplays).

In addition to her novels, Brooksbank has also written for both the stage and television. Her theatrical works include Curtain for Cocky (1969), Green Room (1976), and Down Under (1977).

Her extensive television credits include more than thirty series and telemovies since the 1970s, beginning with Catwalk. Among the television series she written for are Certain Women (1973), Glenview High (1977-78), Case for the Defence (1978), Top Mates (1979), The Winds of Jarrah (1983), Singles (1984), the Australian Children's Television Foundation anthology series Winners (1985), Land of Hope (1986), Home and Away (1998), A Country Practice (1981-90), G.P. (1991-95), Blue Heelers (1994-95), Flipper (1995), Children's Hospital (1997), Wildside (1998), Water Rats (1996-99), Halifax f.p. (2000), and MDA (2002).

Her film scripts began in 1970 with Men of the Endeavour. She has followed this with scripts for Avengers of the Reef (1973), Newsfront (1978), ... Maybe This Time (1981), Remember Me (1985), Archer (1985), Army Wives (1986), and Marriage Acts (2000). In 1986, she also scripted Handle with Care, a semi-educational film that used the experiences of two fiction female characters to educate women on the consequences of a breast-cancer diagnosis and the resources available to them; the film was directed by Paul Cox.

Brooksbank has also won a number of AWGIE awards for her film and television scripts.