Cirrus@Austlit

Eve Pownall was born in Kings Cross, Sydney, and grew up in Kiama, Muswellbrook and Windsor (all in New South Wales) before returning to Sydney in 1914. She attended North Sydney Girls High School where she performed in dramatic productions and wrote for the school magazine. On leaving school she completed a secretarial course and worked for a number of firms, including Fox Films and M. G. M.

Through her own children, Pownall developed an interest in children's literature. Her earliest works were short stories, children's poetry and radio scripts for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She was Children's Editor for Australasian Book News and is best-known for her historical writing. Books such as Exploring Australia (1958) and Mary of Maranoa (1959) were widely admired. She also wrote stories for pre-school children and scripts for radio broadcast as well as many non-fiction books for children. These include The Story of a Baby (1948), The World is Wide (1953), The Thirsty Land : Harnessing Australia's Water Resources (1967), They Live in Australia (1966), The Great South Land (1969), The Singing Wire : The Story of the Overland Telegraph (1973), Elements of Danger (1976) and Australia From the Beginning (1980).

Pownall was a founding member of the Children's Book Council of Australia (1945) and was associated with the Council for the rest of her life. Since 1993, the Children's Book Council has presented the Eve Pownall Award for Non-Fiction.