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Cecilia May Gibbs MBE used the name May Gibbs to publish her works. She was an illustrator, cartoonist and children's author, her gumnut babies also known as bush babies or bush fairies, and the book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie are the images and books she is best known for. May Gibbs brought the Australian bush to life for so many Australian children when she based her characters and scenery on the plants,flowers and gumnuts found in the bushland of Bunbury Western Australia where she played as a child.
From Snugglepot and Cuddlepie whose hair, hats and skirts are modelled on Eucalyptus flowers, she used the yellow flowers of the Australian Golden Wattle as the skirts and hats for her Wattle Babies, to the Banksia Men who are the villains of the story and are modelled on the appearance of aged Banksia cones. May also illustrated and produced 33 patriotic postcards dressing her gumnut babies in uniform to support Australian troops in World War One. 3 of May Gibbs post cards were Are we downhearted ? , The Girls I left behind me and We are the Gumnut Corps we are going to the war (we'll make things hum , by gum) this is the best known of the 33 patriotic postcard designs produced by May Gibbs during World War One
The family had plans to move to South Australia to set up a farm in 1879, but May had caught the measles so her father and uncle went to Australia leaving her mother in England to care for the children. Herbert Gibbs and his brother George arrived in South Australia in the Chimborazo. And was followed in October by his wife and three children. Herbert and George tried farming at Franklin River, but when this failed because of drought he moved to Norwood and worked as a surveyor.
Herbert and the family moved to a farm property in Harvey in 1885,in Western Australia May started exploring the bush while riding her pony Brownie, and began to paint and write about all the things she saw in the bush. When May was 10 the family moved to Perth. In 1889, when May was only 12 years old, she was published for the first time in the Christmas edition of the W.A. Bulletin. Herbert was working a newspaper cartoonist in 1889 and in 1890 was drawing master at Perth High School.
The first time we saw the gumnut babies was on the front cover of The Missing Button, by Ethel Turner which May Gibbs had illustrated. She also produced patriotic postcards, dressing her gumnut babies in uniform to support Australia's troops in World War One. May Gibbs' first book about the gumnut babies titled Gumnut Babies, was published in 1916. May's most famous work Snugglepot and Cuddlepie was published in 1918.May wrote a lot of books about her Gumnut Babies.
The World's News Sydney Saturday 16 November 1918
While May was visiting her parents in Perth she met Bertram James Ossoli Kelly, a mining agent. [2]They were married in Perth on 17 April 1919. In 1925, when they returned to Sydney Bertram and May moved into Nutcote in Neutral Bay Sydney , New South Wales on the shores of Sydney Harbour. The house was designed by architect BJ Waterhouse.
Nutcote home of May Gibbs
A newspaper article on a bid to save May Gibbs home , Nutcote was saved and is now considered a national treasure and has been beautifully preserved as a National Museum.
Sunday Times Sydney Sunday 12 October 1919 Gum nut Babies [3]
May Gibbs published Little Ragged Blossom in 1920 and Little Obelia in 1921. She also had her two comic strips Bib and Bub 1924-1967 and Tiggy Touchwood 1925-1931 in different newspapers. Tiggy Touchwood appeared in the Sunday Sun under the name Stan Cottman. These comic strips were published in both Australia and New Zealand. In 1923 she published Nuttybub and Nittersing and in 1929 Two Little Gum-Nuts and five cartoon books of Bib and Bub. All the books May Gibbs wrote have been reprinted a number of times.
May Gibbs comic strip Bib and Bub [4]
In the late 1920's May also wrote a weekly column Gumnut Gossip. [5] Despite her publishing success May Gibbs had financial struggles during the Great Depression. She became a virtual recluse at Nutcote although she continued to produce an astounding number of illustrations and comic strips [6] , as well as another eight books. Finally, in 1955, May Gibbs was awarded an MBE for her services to Australian literature. She lived and worked at Nutcote until her death. May Gibbs died in Sydney on 27 November 1969, and was cremated at Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney. Sadly, May and Bertram had no children of their own so she bequeathed the copyright from the designs of her bush characters and her stories to Northcott Disability Services and Cerebral Palsy Alliance. The residue of her estate was left to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. A postage stamp honouring May Gibbs' bush babies was issued in 1985 by Australia Post as part of a set of five commemorating children's books.
A list of May Gibbs Works
This does not include magazine or newspaper articles and stories
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie [7]
The First edition cover for Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie
A bronze sculpture showing Mr lizard and the Banksia man dropping a baby down a hole at Nutcote May Gibbs home
Image of the nasty Banksia Man from A tribute to May Gibbs by boeufblogginon
See Also
Featured German connections: May is 24 degrees from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 25 degrees from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 32 degrees from Lucas Cranach, 27 degrees from Stefanie Graf, 27 degrees from Wilhelm Grimm, 29 degrees from Fanny Hensel, 33 degrees from Theodor Heuss, 26 degrees from Alexander Mack, 47 degrees from Carl Miele, 24 degrees from Nathan Rothschild, 32 degrees from Hermann Friedrich Albert von Ihering and 26 degrees from Ferdinand von Zeppelin on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.
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Cecilia May Gibbs MBE (17 January 1877 27 November 1969), publishing under the name May Gibbs, May I suggest you 'gong' her with the "MBE" - - - cheers - john.a
I haven't heard of her before. Thank you.
What and amazing style you have. Your page here make you go back and look for more Well done