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May Gibbs (1877-1969), author, illustrator and cartoonist, has captured the hearts and imaginations of generations of Australians with her lovable bush characters and fairytale landscapes.

Her iconic children's literature and folklore is still popular, holding a special place in the Australian consciousness. Best known for The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, Gibbs also wrote and illustrated many other children's books, produced long-running cartoon strips, and a variety of commercial work. A fiercely determined woman, she was Australia's first full-time, professionally trained children's book author and illustrator, developing a uniquely Australian vernacular. In 1955, May Gibbs was appointed Member of the British Empire (MBE) in acknowledgement of her important contribution to children’s literature.

 

Volume 02/v: Illustrations for Snugglepot and Cuddlepie: their adventures wonderful / by May Gibbs
ca. 1918
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a1186047
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Volume 02/v: Illustrations for Snugglepot and Cuddlepie: their adventures wonderful / by May Gibbs
ca. 1918
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a1186012
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Volume 01/i: Illustrations for Gum-nut Babies / by May Gibbs
1916
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a1705015
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Volume 01/i: Illustrations for Gum-nut Babies / by May Gibbs
1916
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a1705026
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Volume 04: Illustrations for Little Ragged Blossom and more about Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, 1920 / by May Gibbs
ca. 1920
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a1706038
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Volume 04: Illustrations for Little Ragged Blossom and more about Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, 1920 / by May Gibbs
ca. 1920
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a1706106
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Volume 03: Illustrations for Boronia Babies / by May Gibbs
ca. 1919
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a5238018
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Volume 03: Illustrations for Boronia Babies / by May Gibbs
ca. 1919
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a5238037
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Volume 01/ii: Illustrations for Gum-Blossom babies / by May Gibbs
1916
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a5242004
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Volume 01/iii: Illustrations for Flannel flowers and other bush babies / by May Gibbs
1917
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a5243023
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Volume 02/iv: Illustrations for Wattle Babies / by May Gibbs
ca. 1918
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a5244003
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Volume 02/iv: Illustrations for Wattle Babies / by May Gibbs
ca. 1918
May Gibbs
Digital ID: 
a5244004
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The State Library holds a remarkable collection of May Gibbs’ original illustrations, cartoons and literary papers, most of which was deposited into the Mitchell Library in 1970 by the copyright holders, the NSW Society for Crippled Children, (now The Northcott Society), and the Spastic Centre of NSW, (now the Cerebral Palsy Alliance). These institutions have kindly given the Library permission to digitise the material and publish it on our website. We hope this will introduce May Gibbs and her iconic Australian work to a whole new audience.

This story has been developed with the support of the NSW Library Foundation

Made possible through a partnership with the Nutcote Trust and Graham & Charlene Bradley, and various benefactors.

Graham & Charlene Bradley,  Nutcote Trust,  Caroline Minogue,   Neutral Bay Public School,   Rob Thomas,  Rosemary Adams, Eve Bagnall, Philip Maxwell & Jane Tham, Kerry Jukes,  Peter Meurer,  Val Gowen,  David Frecker, Christine Fraser,  Jean Ashton,  Jenny Hall,  Catherine G Percy,  Elsa Atkin,  Henry Maurice Saxby,  Susan Byrnes,  Beth Lewis,  Ron Dupen,  J L Vigo,  Julia Selby,  Patricia Burgess, Millie Mills, Nancy Manefield, Marilyn Christiansen,  Jane Brummitt, Francis Hooper, Caryl G Fearnley Billinghurst, Christine Fraser, Genevieve Gibbs

© The Northcott Society and Cerebral Palsy Alliance 2016

For further information on May Gibbs please visit the May Gibbs website and https://www.maygibbs.com.au/Nutcote, May Gibbs' former home.