Mary Osborne (Elwyn) Patchett (1898 - 1989)

Born 2 Sep 1898 in Rockdale, New South Wales (Australia)

Ancestors

Wife of Alan Barrington Hill — married 26 Oct 1921 (to before 1933) in Queensland, Australia

Wife of Stanser P Patchett — married 1933 in St George Hanover Square, Middlesex, England

Died 1989 at about age 90 in Berkshire, England

Biography

Mary Osborne Elwyn was born on 2nd September 1898 at Rockdale, New South Wales, Australia. She was the only daughter of Herbert Elwyn and Jane Statham. ^[1] She was raised on the family cattle property, Gunzah, between Inglewood and Texas, Queensland. Several biographies mistakenly indicate that Mary was an only child, neglecting to notice her illustrious older brother, Garth Maundie Elwyn (1894-1973).

Mary married Alan Hill on 26th October 1921 at Queensland.^[2] They were divorced about 1926.

After working for five years as a features journalist for the Sun group of newspapers, she left to work in England as a freelance writer in 1931, returning to Australia for holidays.

Mary married a second time, to Stanser Patchett in 1933 in London, England. ^[3]

Mary was a prolific and popular novelist and considered one of the pioneers of Australian juvenile science fiction

Mary Osborne Patchett, or Mary Elwyn Patchett, was a prolific and popular novelist, publishing more than fifty-five books. Having grown up on a cattle station, she was easily able to portray Australian animals realistically in their natural habitat and set her stories authoritatively, as is seen in her young adult adventure, The Brumby (1958). Mary's first published book Ajax the Warrior (1953), originally broadcast in 1952 on the BBC Children's Hour, was largely autobiographical. Her varied interests were reflected in her writings. She can be considered one of the pioneers of Australian juvenile science fiction writing because she was inspired by the idea of space flight and a member of the British Interplanetary Society. Her activities on both sides of the theatrical curtain are reflected in Evening Star, and her ownership of a beauty salon at one stage informed The Lee Twins and Your Call Miss Gaynor. ^[4]

Mary passed away, aged about 91 years, in 1989 at Berkshire, England. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #6797/1898
2. ↑ Queensland Marriage Index #3655/1921
3. ↑ UK FreBMD Marriage Index Sep qtr 1933, vol 1a, page 1350; registered at St George Hanover Square
4. ↑ Mary Elwyn Patchett; accessed 11 Apr 2020; there are some errors in the obituary
5. ↑ Elwyn Patchett, Mary; accessed 11 Apr 2020