Percy Trezise was born in Tallangatta and educated at Albury High School. He served as a pilot during World War II, enlisting on 7 December 1941 and being discharged on 4 September 1945. He moved to Cairns in 1965 to fly for Ansett Airlines and the Aerial Ambulance. A renowned landscape artist, Trezise was also responsible for bringing the Quinkan Aboriginal rock arts sites to public attention. He spent many years photographing the sites and building strong relationships with the Aboriginal people of the Laura area on Cape York Peninsula.
Trezise wrote dozens of children's picture books. Many of them were themed around issues of conservation or Aboriginal mythology, and about half were co-authored with Dick Roughsey. (Trezise became Roughsey's brother in a traditional Aboriginal ceremony and was given the name Warrenby.) Trezise also wrote The Rock Art of South-East Cape York (1971).
In 2004 Trezise was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by James Cook University for service to the north Queensland community. He is survived by his son, Matt Trezise (q.v.).
(Major source: Cairns Post, 23 May 2005)
Turramulli the Giant Quinkin
Sydney
:
Collins
,
1982
Z832970
1982
single work
picture book
children's
Indigenous story
Two children of the Yalanji people are pursued by Turramulli, the largest and fiercest of the spirits roaming the bushland.
