Hello
Hi, I'm a children's and YA author and I live in country South Australia near the oldest mining town in Australia called Kapunda. I have written over 35 books and I enjoy writing adventure, mystery, fantastical as well as realistic stories about children, families, faith, kindness and animals, especially cats and camels. I often write about children from places I have been, like Pakistan and Cornwall, and about children whose voices are not easily heard like young girls and boys forced into marriages. I enjoy jigsaws, playing the piano and walking. Along with writing I love sitting quietly to listen and reading a good book.
I am available for talks and author visits in schools and community groups. Please see the Contact page for my booking agent's details.
What I hope for my writing and writing life:
To do justice, and to love kindness
and to walk humbly with my God.
Book of Micah
Before Rosanne was an Author
Rosanne was born Rosanne Joy Trevilyan, the youngest in a sheep farming family at Wattle Range, near Penola, South Australia. Her big sister told her stories. Then Rosanne told the stories to her mum when they went for walks.
Rosanne began school at Penola Area School in 1959. She travelled on a normal school bus with her brother who was in high school and sister who was in Year 7.
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In 1960 the family moved to Central Queensland to take up brigalow land. Here, her father and brother had mixed farming: cattle, dairy, sheep, cropping, chickens and pigs. Most of the time there was a drought and Rosanne was last in the bath.
Rosanne attended the one teacher school, Banana State School. She travelled to school on a cattle truck, converted by Fred Dobson, the driver. There wasn’t a Grade 2 so Rosanne did Grade 1 again. She wished she could write exciting stories about a cat on a mat, using some of the words she could safely spell.
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Rosanne loved reading and writing on jotter pads. She pretended she was a writer and buried sentences in old tin boxes on their property. She also loved visiting the Biloela library in the school holidays.
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The farming and town community put on country dances, balls, fancy dress events for families and Christmas parties in the local hall. Once, Rosanne won the children’s fancy dress section dressed as an Indian girl in a sari and received ten shillings. She was ten years old and never dreamed she would live in Pakistan one day. Rosanne did Mail Bag Sunday School and enjoyed writing stories and plays about the Bible stories she was reading.
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Rosanne, Grade 6 is left in the front row. She is always the one squinting - she's photophobic. In Year 7 Rosanne wrote a radio play which her friend Jenne and she performed at the end of year concert.
Rosanne attended Moura State High School in Year 8. She is standing in the second row from the back, the second student on the right. Her home teacher and English teacher, Ms Nichols (pictured) submitted one of Rosanne's stories in The Dragline, the Moura HS magazine. It was the first time she was published. She was 14.
The family returned to South Australia when Rosanne was 14. She felt the culture shock of changing states keenly. Being brought up ‘in the bush’ was a big jump to attending Taperoo High School in Adelaide. Once a property was found near Two Wells, Rosanne attended Gawler High School from Year 9 to Year 12.
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In Year 10 Rosanne won a scholarship to study Year 11 & 12 which led to her attending Salisbury College of Advanced Education to become a teacher.
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All during her life Rosanne told stories. As a Reception/Foundation teacher she told her students stories and when she had her own children she told them stories, and that’s how she became an author.
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Rosanne is 3rd from the right in the front row. Year 11A, Gawler High School.
Mr Polkinghorn on the right was her favourite teacher.
