Colin Thiele - Biography
Colin Thiele was one of Australia's most prolific and popular writers for children. He was born in 1920 in Eudunda, South Australia. His paternal grandfather migrated from Germany to South Australia in 1855. In 1945, Thiele married Rhonda Gill and they had two daughters.
He went to school at Julia Creek and Eudunda Primary Schools and spent his secondary schooling in Kapunda. He then completed a degree at the University of Adelaide in 1941, followed by a course at Adelaide Teachers College in 1942. He served with the RAAF in the Northern Territory and New Guinea from 1942-1945, and then completed a Diploma of Education on his return.
Thiele taught English at Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula from 1946 to 1955. Radio plays, verse, children's features were written during his years teaching at Port Lincoln and the Eyre Peninsula. He later taught for a year at Brighton High School, Adelaide.
He joined the staff at Wattle Park Teachers' College (later known as Wattle Park Teachers' Centre) as a lecturer in English from 1957 to 1963. He was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in 1958 to study teacher education. He became Vice Principal in 1964, Principal from 1965 to 72, and then Principal of Murray Park College of Advanced Education in 1973. In 1974 he became Director of Wattle Park Teachers Centre until his retirement in 1980.
Colin Thiele moved to Queensland in 2000 for his health, but continued his writing. He died on the 4th of September 2006 after a short stay in hospital. He was 85 years old.
He has won many awards for his work:
1940s-1970s
W.J. Miles Poetry Prize,1944, for the manuscript of Progress to Denial; Commonwealth Jubilee Literary Competitions, 1st prize in radio play section, for Edge of Ice, and 1st prize in radio feature section, 1951; South Australian winner in World Short Story Quest, 1952; Fulbright scholar in the United States and Canada, 1959-60; Grace Levin Poetry Prize, 1962; Children's Book of the Year Award, 1962, for The Sun on the Stubble [commended]; Commonwealth Literary Fund fellowship, 1967-68; Hans Christian Andersen Award, international honours list for Blue Fin in 1972; Writers Award, 1973, for The Fire in the Stone; Children's Book of the Year Award, 1974, for The Fire in the Stone [commended]; Edgar Allan Poe Award, Best Juvenile Mystery, runner-up, 1975, for The Fire in the Stone; Visual Arts Board Award for Illustration, 1975, for Magpie Island; Children's Book of the Year Award, 1975, for Magpie Island [commended]; Companion of the Order of Australia for his services to literature and education, 1977; Austrian State Prize for Children's Books, 1977, for Magpie Island; Austrian State Prize for Children's Books, 1979, for The Hammerhead Light; Austrian State Prize for Children's Books, 1979, for The Sknuks.
1980s-1990s
Advance Australia Award, 1980; Children's Book of the Year Award, 1982, for The Valley Between; German Publisher Award, 1984; Netherlands Award of the Silver Pencil ,1986, for the film of Storm Boy; Austrian State Prize, 1986, for Pinquo; Christian Blind Mission International Book of the year, 1988, for The Seed's Inheritance; Great South Australian Award - Services to the Arts, 1989; Family Award of Children's Books - New South Wales Family Therapy Association, 1989; The International Board on Books for Young People Certificate of honor, 1992, for Blue Fin; Christian Book of the year, Children's Award - Australian Christian Literature Society, 1994, for Martin's Mountain; Christian Book of the year, Children's Award, 1995, for Gemma's Christmas Eve; YABBA Shortlist, 1996, recommendation for Jodie's Journey; New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, 1997; Wilderness Society Environment Award, 1997, for High Valley; Dromkeen Medal awarded in 1997 for his contribution to children's literature.
He played an active role in organisations such as the Australian Section of International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), Commonwealth Literary Fund, Australian Society of Authors and Writer's Week.
- Colin Thiele homepage
- Colin Thiele Research Collection
- Acknowledgment: Lothian Books for the use of the book cover graphics
For further information please contact the Library on 1300 137 659