Occupation Author Role Journalist Nationality Australian Spouse Jean Wohlers (m. 1942) | Movies Chase Through the Night Name Max Fatchen | |
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Died October 14, 2012, Gawler, Australia Education Gawler and District College Books Australia at the Beach, The River Kings, Songs for My Dog and Other, Wry Rhymes for Troubles, Tadpoles in the Torrens Similar People Christobel Mattingley, Janeen Brian, Rob George, Josephine Emery | ||
Notable awards Walkley Award (1996) | ||
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Maxwell Edgar "Max" Fatchen, AM (3 August 1920 – 14 October 2012) was an Australian journalist and children's writer.
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Fatchen spent his childhood on an Adelaide Plains farm at Angle Vale. He learned to drive a team of Clydesdale horses and did part of his High School studies at home, driving his horse and buggy in once a week to Gawler High School to get his papers corrected. Later he entered journalism as a copy boy and after five years in the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force during World War II became a journalist with The News and later The Advertiser. He covered many major stories in Australia and overseas. He began writing for children in 1966 (The River Kings) and has been writing for them ever since. He wrote 20 books; his novels appear in seven countries and his poetry throughout the English-speaking world. He wrote for children in the primary school group.
His books The River Kings and Conquest of the River were produced as a TV mini-series The River Kings in 1991.
Three of his books have received commendation in the Children's Book of the Year Award. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1980, the Advance Australia Award for literature in 1991, the Walkley Award for journalism in 1996, the Primary English Teaching Associations Award for children's poetry in 1996 and the SA Great Award for Literature in 1999 and the 2003 Centenary of Federation Medal for service to the community in journalism, poetry and writing for children. He was made Inaugural Life Member of SA Writers Centre in 2004 for long years of support, encouragement and ambassadorship for the Centre. He has also written lots of children's poems like 'Just fancy that'. Max Fatchen Drive, Angle Vale and the Max Fatchen Expressway are named for him; the expressway after his death, and the road while he was still alive.
He died on 14 October 2012 in his sleep.