The author of the Billabong series of books, Mary Grant Bruce, also known as Minnie Bruce, was born in 1878 and began writing poetry and short stories at the age of seven. After completing her matriculation Bruce moved to Melbourne where she worked as an editor and wrote weekly stories for the Leader children’s page. Her first book A Little Bush Maid , originally a serial, was published in 1910. Between 1910 and 1942 she published 37 children’s novels. She died in 1958.
