Daphne Rooke

Daphne Marie Rooke (née Pizzey) (6 March 1914 – 21 January 2009 ) was a South African author of works such as "Mittee", "Ratoons" and "Wizards' Country". She also wrote travel articles and books for children set in India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Biography Daphne Rooke was born in Boksburg, Transvaal; the youngest of six children born to an Afrikaaner mother. Daphne's grandfather was Dietlof Siegfried Maré, founder of Pietersburg, who had 23 children by two wives. One of Daphne's uncles was writer Leon Maré.

Daphne's mother was Maria Magdalena Maré, born in 1878, who was known as "Mittee". or Knevitt in 1899. The Marés and Knevitts apparently had little contact after this time.

After the death of Edward Knevitt, Daphne's mother remarried to another Englishman, Robert Pizzey, in 1911, As a child, Daphne had recurring heart and growth problems. In the meantime (1937) she had married an Australian named Irvin ("Bertie") Rooke, whom she had met while doing organizational work for the Transport Workers Union. To reconnect with Bertie's Australian family, they left for Australia in 1946.