David McRobbie David McRobbie i(A3075 works by) (a.k.a. David Hewitt McRobbie)
Born: Established: 1934 Glasgow,
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Scotland,
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United Kingdom (UK),
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Western Europe, Europe,
;
Gender: Male
Arrived in Australia: 1958
Heritage: Scottish
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BiographyHistory

McRobbie came from a poor family of five children who were evacuated during World War II down the Scottish coast to Ayr. In 1958, McRobbie moved to Australia and worked as an apprentice marine fitter and a ship's engineer. He trained as a primary-school teacher in Papua New Guinea and worked as a college lecturer and parliamentary researcher there.

McRobbie is also a scriptwriter and producer of children's radio and television programs for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. He wrote the scripts for the successful television series The Wayne Manifesto based on his series of books about twelve-year-old Wayne Wilson. McRobbie also wrote for reading schemes and contributed material on creative writing for schools. He is a full-time writer and lives in Brisbane, Queensland.

Most Referenced Works

Personal Awards

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon To Brave the Seas : A Boy at War Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2013 Z1926066 2013 single work novel young adult adventure war literature 'We had trained for emergencies. Every man knew how to launch a lifeboat. There were life jackets to save us, but no one said, "Oh, and this is what an exploding torpedo does, and here's what happens when the ship sinks under you. And the lights will be out, so you'll be in the dark"...' It is 1940, and war rages. With nothing to keep him at home, fifteen-year-old Adam Chisholm joins Britain's Merchant Navy. His first ship takes him on a stormy Atlantic convoy where he faces seasickness, submarines and shipwreck. In his remarkable journeys, Adam meets enemies face to face, and makes friends - some for a lifetime.
2014 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Notable Book Younger Readers
y separately published work icon Vinnie's War Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2011 Z1795647 2011 single work children's fiction children's

'Just then came: crump, CRUMP, CRUMP! Three bombs in quick succession, coming frighteningly close. With each explosion, the ground shook. Dust and chips fell from the ceiling. Everyone in the shelter gasped at the same time. Vinnie held his breath, waiting for the fourth bomb, but it didn't come.

'When Vinnie is sent away from the bombs in London, he has no idea what awaits him. All he has left of his old life is his harmonica. On the train, Vinnie meets fierce Kathleen, sweet Joey and gangly Dobbs. The evacuee children find themselves thrown together in the country town of Netterfold, which seems beautiful and peaceful - until they meet the locals.

'There is a war raging across Europe, but Vinnie and his friends soon find they have their own war to fight as they face up to terrifying teachers, bad billets, and hostile neighbourhood kids who set out to make their lives as 'vaccies' miserable. And when things start to go missing, they discover that there are mysteries lurking in Netterfold's shadows, just waiting to be solved...

'Through music and friendship, can Vinnie make peace and finally find a place where he belongs?'  (Publication summary)

2012 shortlisted Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards Best Language Development Book for Upper Primary Children (2005-2013)
y separately published work icon Mum, Me, the 19C Pymble : Angus and Robertson , 2002 Z959622 2002 single work novel young adult adventure 'Cara Gillespie and her mother are transported back in time to 1840s Australia after visiting a "living" museum. They need to get back to Dad, who is waiting in the car park in the Mitsubishi, but before they can do so, there are funny and frightening adventures to be faced.' (Libraries Australia record).
2002 shortlisted Aurealis Awards for Excellence in Australian Speculative Fiction Young Adult Division Best Novel
Last amended 27 Sep 2012 13:02:51
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