Hyland House Publishing was founded in South Yarra in 1977 by Al Knight and Anne Godden, both of whom had been employed previously at Thomas Nelson (Australia). Hyland House published 120 titles in its first ten years, averaging 10-12 titles per annum. In addition to gardening and practical books, and significant works of social history, it published award-winning children's books in its early years, such as its first children's title, Lee Harding's Displaced Person. Hyland House's adult list included Dorothy Porter's bestselling novel-in-verse, The Monkey's Mask (1994), and Mudrooroo's body of work.
The company 'has come a long way from its humble beginnings, in the front room of Anne's own house in Hyland Street, South Yarra. Hyland House Publishing is now one of Australia's oldest surviving independent publishers, producing quality Australian titles in an extensive range of interest areas-including children's books, fiction, non-fiction, practical books and poetry, with Aboriginal literature, children's literature, gardening and pet care being specialty areas' (website).
In 1999, Godden and Knight retired and Hyland House was sold to Michael Shoo who has since focussed on publishing gardening books in line with his own passion.
Sources:
' http://www.greenweb.com.au/hyland/html/welcome.html (Sighted 15/12/04)
Robyn Sheahan-Bright, 'To Market, To Market: The Development of the Australian Children's Publishing Industry', PhD thesis, Griffith University, 2004, pp. 215-216.
