Dromkeen

In 1973 two Australian booksellers, Joyce and Court Oldmeadow, bought a 19th century homestead sixty kilometres northwest of Melbourne, called Dromkeen. There the Oldmeadows set about preserving all the material they could find related to Australian children's books, with the idea of making a collection that would be constantly accessible to children for their enjoyment. Since then it has grown into an organization known throughout the world as a unique concept: a priceless collection of manuscripts, artwork and books from all parts of the world, linked to a wide range of educational activities in which the children play an active role. Today it attracts 8,000 visitors a year. This book covers the history of the collection, now known as the Courtney Oldmeadow Children's Literature Foundation. It describes some of the treasures housed at Dromkeen, together with biographies of the artists and authors represented there.