Did you know that the author of the Mary Poppins books, P.L.Travers was born in Australia. Born Helen Lyndon Goff (she later changed her name to Pamela, as a stage name, and Travers was her father's first name), in Maryborough, Queensland, she lived with her sisters and mother in a house overlooking Ashfield Park between 1918 and 1924. She then went to Engalnd, where she lived, along with the US and Ireland, until her death in 1996. She tended to hide her Australian origins, and only returned once, for two weeks in 1966. She reportedly said she didn't think it was "my place."Ashfield resident, thirteen year old Gracie Drew lobbied for a statue to be erected. It is based on the original book illustrations by Mary Shepard. It was unveiled 0n 13March 2004.
Below: The house Goff and her sisters and mother lived in
Read about how Gracie Drew thought of the statue idea here.
Read more about PL Travers in an interview with her biographer, Valerie Lawson, here. In particular, about her off-beat spiritual views.
Read more about Travers here.
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