Pixie O'Harris

Pixie O'Harris, (born Rhona Olive Harris) (15 October 1903 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 17 April 1991) OBE (1976), Queen's Coronation Medal (1953), Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal (1977), Australian artist, book illustrator, author, and children's hospital ward fairy-style mural painter. She became patron to Sydney’s Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in 1977.

Early life

She was the daughter of George Frederick Harris, chairman of the Royal Art Society Cardiff, and Rosetta Elizabeth Harris (née Lucas). She was the fifth of nine children (one of whom was Cromwell, the father of Rolf Harris, making her Rolf Harris’ aunt). She was educated at Sully village school and Allensbank Girl's School in Cardiff. At age 14 she was a member of the South West Art Society. The Harris family migrated to Australia in 1920 and settled in Perth before moving to Sydney in 1921.

Pixie O'Harris

Disliking her given name Rhona, and having been dubbed "the Welsh pixie" on the boat over to Australia, she became known as "'Pixie". She issued her professional work under the name "Pixie O. Harris"; following a printer’s error at the Sydney Morning Herald, which printed her name as Pixie O'Harris, she permanently used the nom de guerre Pixie O'Harris.

Family

She married Bruce Pratt, editor of the Australian Encyclopaedia, on 16 July 1928. They had three daughters.

=Written by Pixie O’Harris

• 1983, Was It Yesterday? The Autobiography of Pixie O'Harris, Rigby, Australia.
• 1986, Our small safe world: recollections of a Welsh Childhood, Boobook Publications, Sydney, NSW.

=Written and Illustrated by Pixie O’Harris

• 1935, Pearl Pinkie and Sea Greenie, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW.
• 1940, The Pixie O'Harris Story Book, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW.
• 1941, The Babes in the Wood, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood (3 Vols.), New Century Press, Sydney, NSW.
• 1941, The Fortunes of Poppy Treloar, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW.
• 1942, Marmaduke the Possum, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, NSW.
• 1943, Rondel the Fair, Currawong, Sydney, NSW.
• 1943, Goolara: Daughter of the Billabong, Currawong, Sydney, NSW.
• 1944, Rocks of Han, Currawong, Sydney, NSW.
• 1944, Poppy and the Gems, Currawong, Sydney, NSW.
• 1945, Pixie O'Harris Songs for Children, Davis, Sydney, NSW.
• 1945, The Fairy Who Wouldn't Fly, (Publishing details unknown)
• 1947, Poppy Faces the World, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW.
• 1953, Marmaduke and Margaret, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW.
• 1953, Pixie O'Harris Gift Book.
• 1977(?), Marmaduke the Possum In the Cave of the Gnomes, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW.
• 1978, The Teddy Bear's Pinic, Golden Press, Sydney, NSW.

The Kangaroo Who Couldn't Hop and the Cloud Wallaby, Golden Press Sydney, NSW.

• 1980, The Pixie O'Harris Treasury of Animal Verse, Golden Press, Sydney, NSW.
• 1981, The Pixie O'Harris Nursery Rhyme Book, David Ell, Sydney, NSW.
• 1982, The Little Grey Mouse and her Friends, Golden Press, Sydney, NSW.
• 1985, A Cavalcade of Cats, Methuen, Sydney, NSW.
• 1985, Loveleaves the Koala, Methuen, Sydney, NSW.
• 1988, Loveleaves Returns to the Bush, Dent, Australia.

Works Illustrated by Pixie O'Harris

• Littlejohn, Agnes. 1924, The Lost Emeralds and Other Stories, Edwards Dunlop, Sydney, NSW.
• Davison, Frank Dalby. 1936, Children of the Dark People, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW.
• Grahame, Kenneth, 1985, The Wind in the Willows, Rigby Ltd, Adelaide, SA.
• Higgins, Kathleen, 1938, Betty in Bushland, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, NSW.
• Carroll, Lewis, 1990, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, (125th Birthday Edition), Carroll Foundation, Melbourne, VIC.
• Liston, Maud, 1982, Cinderella's Party, Rigby Ltd, Adelaide, SA.

External links

• Australian Women Biographical entry: O'Harris, Pixie (1903 - 1991) [1]