Book 'Bill Baillie: his life and adventures' by Ellis Rowan
Object No. 2010/80/1
'Bill Baillie His Life and Adventures', published in 1908, was one of the earliest books to accurately depict the distinctive beauty of the West Australian bush. The children's book is about the adventures of Ellis Rowan's own beloved pet Bilboa (also known as the Bilby, the Dalgyte or the Rabbit-Eared Bandicoot (Macrotis lagotis)). Named Bill Baillie by Ellis Rowan, he was given to the artist in 1906 by a local handyman after he was rescued from his mother's pouch, during her third visit to Western Australia. Bill's story takes place in a variety of locations including the Goldfields area of Western Australia, which is where Ellis Rowan was given Bill Baillie in Goongarrie. The book was reprinted in 1948 as 'Bill Baillie: The Story of a Pet Bilboa'. References: Morton-Evans, C. and Morton-Evans, M., 'Bill Baillie finds a home' in Morton-Evans, C. and Morton-Evans, M., The Flower Hunter The remarkable life of Ellis Rowan, (Canberra, 2008), 223 - 233. Rowan, E. The Flower Hunter (Canberra, 2002). State Library of Western Australia, Write, Rite, Right, http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/find/guides/childrens_literature/past_exhibitions/write,_rite,_right, accessed on 24/08/2010. The Marsupial Society of Australia, Bilby (or Dalgyte), http://www.marsupialsociety.org/bilby.html, accessed on 26/08/2010. http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/44384/20040920-0000/www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/ellisrowan/index.html http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/insidethecollection/2010/10/an-ellis-rowan-mystery-2/ Accessedon on 17/2/2015 Clare Plascow, Curatorial Volunteer with Anne-Marie Van de Ven, Curator September 2010
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Summary
Object Statement
Book, 'Bill Baillie: his life and adventures', paper, written by Ellis Rowan, illustrations by Ellis Rowan and Jack Sommers, published by Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, c. 1908
Physical Description
Book, 'Bill Baillie: his life and adventures', paper, written by Ellis Rowan, illustrations by Ellis Rowan and Jack Sommers, published by Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, c. 1908 Book by Ellis Rowan titled 'Bill Baillie: his life and adventures'. The book is bound in a grey hardcover and comprises 159 pages. The book contains 16 chapters with eight colour illustrations and numerous black and white drawings. The cover features the title 'Bill Baillie', the author's name and a silhouette of a Bilby (or Macrotis lagotis) in an Australian desert setting, sitting on its hind quarters with its body in profile and its head facing straight on, before a yellow moon.
DIMENSIONS
Height
183 mm
Width
255 mm
Depth
21 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
Eight colour illustrations by Rowan and numerous black and white drawings by Jack Sommers. Marian Ellis Rowan (1848-1922) Ref: Marian Ellis Rowan biography: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/rowan-marian-ellis-8282
HISTORY
Notes
'Bill Baillie: his life and adventures' was first published in 1908. It was subsequently reprinted in 1948 as 'Bill Baillie: The Story of a Pet Bilboa'.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of Jennifer Sanders, 2010
Acquisition Date
30 November 2010
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