Sheila Hunter

The daughter of Victorian gold miners, Sheila McDonald, was born in New Zealand in 1924. Moving back to Australia at the age of four, she spent time in Victoria, Western Australia, and the ACT. Working as a Nurse, Sheila moved to the NSW Central Coast in 1950. In September 1955, she met her husband, Norman, and they were married in December of the same year. 

Their two children soon followed, and Sheila and Norman enjoyed travelling together with their family. Collectors of rare natural & cultural artifacts, Sheila and Norman also spent a great deal of time travelling the Pacific, working as missionaries to Pacific islands, and spreading their shared love of God. At home, Sheila significantly contributed to the community, particularly with the Red Cross, Girl Guides and Scouts, and was jointly awarded the 1999 NSW Senior Citizen of the Year. 

Sheila always had a passion for storytelling and spun tall tales for her children (and later, grandchildren) whenever they travelled long distances by car. The whimsical and heartfelt stories were seemingly plucked from thin air, evidence of the incredibly curious and imaginative mind that grabbed them. 

Sheila's stories were not bound by genre and ranged from colonial romances to tropical mysteries to fairy stories based on her grandchildren's daily adventures. As she aged, her daughter Sara urged her to write the stories down so they could be published one day. However, only a few novels would ever be finished. 

Sheila passed away on the 24th of September, 2002, two days before her 78th birthday.