About Rachel

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

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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