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Colin Thiele: 1920-2006

by Wendy James

You’ll no doubt have heard by now that the much-loved South Australian writer and educator, Colin Thiele, died on Monday. Thiele published almost 80 books - poetry, drama, and history as well as fiction - during his long writing career.

Here’s a short extract from the prize-winning novel, Storm Boy (1963), Thiele’s wonderful tale of a solitary boy and his relationship with an orphaned pelican.

He wrapped up the tiny bruised body in one of Hideaway’s scarves, and put it by the fire. All day long he watched it lying there, sometimes moving feebly or opening its beak to give a noiseless little cry. Every now and then he poured out a drop of cod-liver oil from the bottle that Hideaway had once bought for him, and tried to trickle it down the baby bird’s throat.

Night came on, and still Storm Boy watched the sick little fellow hour after hour, until Hideaway spoke firmly about bed and sleep. But Storm Boy couldn’t sleep. Again and again through the night he slipped out of bed and tip-toed across the dirt floor to the fireplace to make sure the baby pelican was warm enough.

And in the morning it was still living. It was three days before the baby pelican was well enough to sit up and ask for food. By then his two brothers had their beaks open hungrily all the time.

“Anyone would think that I was Grandfather Pelican,” said Hideaway, “…by the way they always turn to me for food.”

“You’ll have to be,” Storm Boy told him, “because their own father and mother are dead.”
“Well they needn’t think I can spend all my time catching fish for them. Look at that fellow sitting up as if he owns the place.”

“Oh, that’s Mr Proud,” said Storm Boy.

“How do you do, Mr Proud.” Hideaway bowed and scratched the top of the pelican’s head. “And what’s your brother’s name?”

“That’s Mr Ponder,” Storm Boy said. “He’s very wise and serious.”

“And what about that fellow?” asked Hideaway. “Is he Mr Peep?”

“No, he’s Mr Percival.” Storm Boy picked up the bird gently in the scarf and held him on his lap. “He’s been very sick.”

“Welcome,” said Hideaway. “And now Grandfather Pelican had better go and catch some fish or there won’t be any tea for three Mr Ps.” And he went off down to his boat.

And that was how Mr Proud, Mr Ponder and Mr Percival came to live with Storm Boy.

6 Responses to “Colin Thiele: 1920-2006”

  1. Tim Sterne
    September 6th, 2006 17:44
    1

    Storm Boy - book and film - was a childhood favourite of mine, and to this day I associate pelicans with that story. Thanks for posting this, Wendy. It would have been remiss of us not to mark Thiele’s passing.

  2. Ben.H
    September 7th, 2006 04:48
    2

    I wondered what had happened to Colin Thiele. I didn’t care much for sea-based stories as a kid, but I remember enjoying The Sun on the Stubble, which seemed to be his one novel located safely inland. Something tells me I should google to check that was one of his.

  3. Ampersand Duck
    September 8th, 2006 12:34
    3

    Thanks Wendy, it was one of my childhood favorites too, and high time I revisited his writing.

  4. A Bad Week for Australian Icons « Sinking the Iceberg
    September 10th, 2006 04:09
    4

    […] I wasn’t a fan of any of theirs, really, especially not Irwin or Brock. I enjoyed Thiele’s books, but they were too closely tied to schoolwork to be favourites. Actually, reading the Storm Boy excerpt posted at Sarsaparilla makes me think I should reread some of them, this time without any resentment-inducing book reports hanging over my head. […]

  5. Penni
    September 10th, 2006 11:16
    5

    Thanks for the tribute and the quoted passage, it’s like looking at a photograph, it brought back an instant feeling of childhood.
    I love the fact that his voice is so distinctly Australian; to me in a way that other, more celebrity, voices never have been.
    I am inspired to revisit his work too.

  6. Stack » How long before another Oz Nobel?
    October 5th, 2006 11:16
    6

    […] The current list from Ladbrokes contains not a single Australian, which I guess is no real surprise. In light of the Institute of Public Affairs inclusion of Patrick White’s win on its list of “Australia’s 13 biggest mistakes”, recent State Funerals for a car driver and a crocodile wrangler and the almost complete neglect of the passing of a great writer, an Australian Nobel winner could be quite the tonic we need. Australians love their sport and what better than a competition to spark public interest in literature? […]

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