Hi there. My name is Rachel Barnett, and I am an author, illustrator and teacher living in northern Australia. I have been writing and drawing all of my life and promoting and supporting children’s literacy and learning is something that I am passionate about. My stories are mostly for children, but I also dabble in writing short stories for adults too.
Books
My first picture book, There’s a Crocodile on the Golf Course, was released in February 2017.
Teaching and Writing
I have been a teacher for many years and have taught across all age groups. The fun and benefits that come with reading to children from an early age can’t be underestimated. I remember a childhood full of imagination and wonderful characters brought to life by the stories that were read to me when I was young. Now, I love reading these same stories, and plenty of new ones, to my own children and to the children that I am lucky to work with.
Life on Groote Eylandt
Groote Eylandt… pretty remote!
For the past ten years, I’ve worked in remote communities in the Northern Territory. Currently, Groote Eylandt is home, a small island off the coast of the Northern Territory. It is remote. There are no cinemas (indoors), though we do have a golf course and a coffee shop or two. There are no major shopping centres, or even minor ones for that matter, and there’s no way off the island apart from a ride through the air on a smallish plane. Our produce is barged in, our post and shipping are important to us, and we have to pre-plan for everything… or be very good at improvising.
Above all, Groote Eylandt is a magical place, steeped in Anindilyakwa culture, history and good people. And it is beautiful! Life on Groote Eylandt provides a great deal of inspiration to me in my writing and drawing, and I love to showcase the place and northern Australian lifestyle in my stories.
Check out my book, There’s a Crocodile on the Golf Course here.
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