Young Murphy

This is the true story of fifteen-year-old John Murphy, who joined Leichardt s ill-conceived Expedition of Discovery in northern Australia in 1844 and was extremely fortunate to have survived this gruelling journey. Each of Murphy s diary entries is prefaced with an excerpt from Leichardt s journal.

Young Murphy was befriended by the naturalist/illustrator of the expedition and learned the art, and the text is accompanied by beautifully drawn illustrations of plants, animals and scenes encountered on the expedition. Murphy went on to become a wildlife illustrator of note himself.

About The Author

Gary Crew has an outstanding reputation as a writer of Young Adult fiction and innovative picture books. His numerous prizes and awards include CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers for Strange Objects and Angel s Gate (1991 and 1994), which also received widespread international recognition; CBCA Honour Book for Memorial (2000), CBCA Picture Book of the Year for First Light (1994); CBCA Picture Book of the Year for The Watertower (1995); and The Lost Diamonds of Killiecrankie was a Notable Book in 1996. In 2004 his publications included the three books of the Extinct series: I Saw Nothing: The Extinction of the Thylacine, I Said Nothing: The Extinction of the Paradise Parrot and I Did Nothing: The Extinction of the Gastric-Brooding Frog. Gary lives in Maleny, Queensland.

About The Illustrator

Melbourne artist Mark Wilson has illustrated a number of educational and trade children s books, including the picture book Penguin Shore by Tim O Brien. His previous Lothian Books are The Wombat King, The Valley of the Bones and The Lie in the After Dark series, as well as The Castaways of the Charles Eaton and the three books of the Extinct series: I Saw Nothing: The Extinction of the Thylacine, I Said Nothing: The Extinction of the Paradise Parrot and I Did Nothing: The Extinction of the Gastric-Brooding Frog. Mark lives in Frankston, Victoria.