Max Fatchen

Maxwell Edgar Fatchen, AM (3 August 192014 October 2012) was an Australian children's writer and journalist.

Early life Fatchen was born at "Narma" private hospital, South Terrace, Adelaide, the only son of Cecil William Fatchen and Isabel Harriet Fatchen, née Ridgway, of "Garowen", Angle Vale.

He spent his childhood on an Adelaide Plains farm at Angle Vale. He learned to drive a team of Clydesdale horses and did part of his secondary school studies at home, driving his horse and buggy once a week to Gawler High School to have his papers corrected.

Career He entered journalism as a copy boy, and after five years in the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, he became a journalist with The News and later The Advertiser. He covered many major stories in Australia and overseas.

Four decades of writing for children, especially those of primary school age, began in 1966 with The River Kings. His children's poems, such as "Just fancy that", remain popular. He wrote 20 books; his novels appear in seven countries, and his poetry appears throughout the English-speaking world.

The River Kings and Conquest of the River were the basis for a TV mini-series, The River Kings, in 1991.

Adult life Max resided at Jane Street, Smithfield from 1952 (now called Max Fatchen Mews ) for most of his adult life. He died on 14 October 2012 in his sleep at Gawler Health Service, Gawler East, South Australia.

Honours and legacy

Three of his books received commendations in the Children's Book of the Year Award. Member of the Order of Australia in 1980. Advance Australia Award for literature in 1991. Walkley Award for journalism in 1996. Primary English Teaching Associations Award for children's poetry in 1996. "SA Great" Award for Literature in 1999. Centenary of Federation Medal in 2003 for service to the community in journalism, poetry, and writing for children. Inaugural Life Member of the SA Writers Centre in 2004 for long years of support, encouragement, and ambassadorship for the Centre. Max Fatchen Drive in Angle Vale and the Max Fatchen Expressway ( also known as the Northern Expressway ) are named after him. The Max Fatchen Fellowship was named to celebrate his achievements and commitment to children's literature and the local writing community. It is open to South Australian writers for young people.