Colleen McCullough

The Australian author of the Masters of Rome (1900-2007) series and the controversial novel 'The Ladies of Missalonghi' (1987).

Novelist

June 1, 1937

Gemini

January 29, 2015

77

Wellington, Australia

Colleen McCullough was an Australian novelist and author, best known for her international bestseller, The Thorn Birds. She has written several books throughout her career, including The Ladies of Missalonghi and Tim, and was awarded several accolades for her work. Apart from her writing career, she was also involved in scientific research as a neurophysiologist. Her other notable works include The Touch, An Indecent Obsession, The First Man in Rome, and A Creed for the Third Millennium.

Colleen McCullough’s parents named her Colleen because they thought it would be easier to spell than her intended name, “Collen”, which they had seen in a magazine. She later added an “e” to her first name, becoming Colleen, when she started writing because she believed it looked better on a book cover.

Colleen McCullough had a passion for gardening and owned an extensive garden at her home in Norfolk Island. She once said, “Nature is my religion, the earth is my temple.” She also raised peacocks, pheasants and guinea fowl at her home, and was fond of animals.