ABOUT ME

I grew up on my family's cattle and cropping farm, located near Dalby in Queensland. I shared my rural upbringing with my five brothers and five sisters, and my cousins who lived across the creek. Needless to say, there were lots of adventures!  There was always fun to be had, whether it be swimming in the dams, exploring the creek bank, running under the irrigators, climbing the hay bales, roaming the paddocks of corn or riding the motorbikes. And of course, let's not forget the actual farm work - turning irrigators on and off, stacking hay bales, driving tractors - there was always something to do. I suppose one of the things about being from a big family is that you don't get away with too much, so I better not pretend to have done much farm work myself, unlike most of my other siblings who were competent farmhands by the age of 6. 

I was educated at the local Catholic schools in Dalby, after which I moved to Brisbane to complete my undergraduate degree (Business/Arts). I was employed in marketing and strategy roles for a few years, while completing a Master of Commerce, before realising that the corporate world was not for me (a side effect of growing up on a farm I think!). A career change into the education sector ensued, beginning with high school teaching and then moving on to a deputy role at a university residential college. 

I am currently based in Brisbane. I am married to Luke (who did not grow up on a farm but nevertheless aspires to be the next Sidney "Cattle King" Kidman) and am now a stay-at-home mum to our three young children who enjoy reading picture books as much as I enjoy writing them. Charlie and the Loose Tooth is my first picture book, published in 2022. Naturally, I wrote it with my own children in mind and so it features all of the things they love about picture books - beautiful illustrations, a rollicking rhyme and a great story.