Mary Grant Bruce (1878-1958) was an Australian journalist and children's book author. Born in Gippsland to Irish and Welsh Australians, Bruce attended Miss Estelle Beausire's Ladies High School before establishing herself as a leading journalist and poet. Her 1910 novel A Little Bush Maid launched the hugely successful Billabong series of bestselling children's novels. In 1913, she met her husband Major George Evans Bruce on a trip to London and returned with him to Australia, where they raised two sons. During the First World War, the family moved to Ireland while George served in Europe, inspiring her 1916 war novel Jim and Wally. Back in Australia, she continued to work on her Billabong series while publishing novels for adults and working as an editor for Women's World magazine. Towards the end of her life, having lost her husband and youngest son, Bruce settled in England, where she would remain until her death. Recognized as a pioneering writer whose works helped define Australian national identity, Bruce has been the subject of controversy for her racist portrayal of Aborigines and immigrants.
