The author of the renowned ‘Silver Brumby’ series of books, Elyne Mitchell, has been nominated to have a park named after her.

Wodonga Council is seeking feedback on a proposal for the Elyne Mitchell Park to be established in the Kinchington Estate on the southern outskirts of the city.

Elyne Chauvel moved from Melbourne to the Upper Murray after marrying Tom Mitchell in 1935, owner of Towong Station and future Benambra MP and Attorney General for Victoria.

With her husband being away for extended periods including a period as a prisoner of war in Changi Prison during WWII, Elyne helped manage the property and look after their children.

During the war, she was part of a group of nationalist writers who wrote poetry and prose centred on the Australian landscape. In this period, she wrote Australia’s Alps (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1942) and Speak to the Earth (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1945). In all, she is the author of 72 works of poetry, autobiography and children’s and adult fiction.

However, Elyne is best known for the Silver Brumby series of children’s books, the first of which she wrote for her daughter Indi, out of concern about the lack of Australian content in books.

She was also an avid bushwalker, conservation list and competitive skier, winning the Canadian downhill skiing championship in 1938.

She was awarded the Order of Australia in 1990 for her services to literature and the Corryong library was named after her in 2002.

Wodonga councillor, Libby Hall, told the Border Mail that Elyne was worthy of being recognised by having a park named in her honour.

“I think Elyne Mitchell is a well deserving person for the park which will be in the Leneva estate,” she said.

Thomas Mitchell has already been recognised in Wodonga after the Tallangatta Road was renamed for him in 1979 and the Thomas Mitchell reserve at Shelley also honours him.

This article appeared in the  Corryong Courier, 27 June 2024.