Colin Thiele - Biography
University of South Australia Library

Colin Thiele is one of Australia's most prolific and popular writers for children. He was born in 1920 in Eudunda, South Australia. His paternal grandfather migrated from Germany to South Australia in 1855. In 1945, Thiele married Rhonda Gill and they have two daughters.

He went to school at Julia Creek and Eudunda Primary Schools and spent his secondary schooling in Kapunda. He then completed a degree at the University of Adelaide in 1941, followed by a course at Adelaide Teachers College in 1942. He served with the RAAF in the Northern Territory and New Guinea from 1942-1945, and then completed a Diploma of Education on his return.

Thiele taught English at Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula from 1946 to 1955. Radio plays, verse, children's features were written during his years teaching at Port Lincoln and the Eyre Peninsula. He later taught for a year at Brighton High School, Adelaide.

He joined the staff at Wattle Park Teachers' College (later known as Wattle Park Teachers' Centre) as a lecturer in English from 1957 to 1963. He was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in 1958 to study teacher education. He became Vice Principal in 1964, Principal from 1965 to 72, and then Principal of Murray Park College of Advanced Education in 1973. In 1974 he became Director of Wattle Park Teachers Centre until his retirement in 1980.

Mr Colin Thiele has won numerous awards for his work;

W.J. Miles Poetry Prize,1944, for the manuscript of Progress to Denial Commonwealth Jubilee Literary Competitions, 1st prize in radio play section, for Edge of Ice, and 1st prize in radio feature section, 1951 South Australian winner in World Short Story Quest, 1952 Fulbright scholar in the United States and Canada, 1959-60 Grace Levin Poetry Prize, 1961, for Man in a Landscape Miles Franklin Award, 1962 Children's Book of the Year Award, 1962 Commonwealth Literary Fund fellowship, 1967-68 Hans Christian Andersen Award , international honours list for Blue Fin in 1972 Writers Award, 1973, for The Fire in the Stone Children's Book of the Year Award, 1974, for The Fire in the Stone [commended] Edgar Allan Poe Award, Best Juvenile Mystery, runner-up, 1975, for The Fire in the Stone Visual Arts Board Award for Illustration, 1975, for Magpie Island Children's Book of the Year Award, 1975, for Magpie Island [commended] Netherlands Award of the Silver Pencil ,1976, for the film of Storm Boy

Companion of the Order of Australia for his services to literature and education, 1977 Austrian State Prize for Children's Books, 1977, for Magpie Island Austrian State Prize for Children's Books, 1979, for The Hammerhead Light Austrian State Prize for Children's Books, 1979, for the Sknuks Advance Australia Award, 1980 Children's Book of the Year Award, 1982, for The Valley Between German Publisher Award ,1984 Austrian State Prize, 1986, for Pinquo Christian Blind Mission International Book of the year, 1988, for The Seed's Inheritance Great South Australian Award - Services to the Arts, 1989 Family Award of Children's Books - New South Wales Family Therapy Association, 1989 The International Board on Books for Young People Certificate of honor, 1992, for Blue Fin Christian Book of the year, Children's Award- Australian Christian Literature Society, 1994 , for Martin's Mountain Christian Book of the year , Children's Award, 1995, for Gemma's Christmas Eve YABBA Shortlist, 1996, recommendation for Jodie's Journey New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards 1997 Wilderness Society Environment, 1997, Award for High Valley Dromkeen Medal was awarded in 1997 for his contribution to children's literature.

He has played an active role in organisations such as the Australian Section of International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), Commonwealth Literary Fund, Australian Society of Authors and Writer's Week.