MCLEAN - Key Persons

Andrew Mclean studied at Prahran Technical College and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He taught art to high school students before becoming a teacher of painting and drawing at Chisholm Institute in Caulfield, Victoria. He now works full-time as a painter and illustrator. I was born in Bairnsdale, Victoria, in 1946, the youngest of three boys. There are eight years between each of us. My brothers left home to work in the city so I was an only child for much of the time. I hero-worshipped both of them and always looked forward to them coming home.

Janet McLean has been a kindergarten teacher for more than forty years. She is presently the pedagogical leader at Bubup Wilam Centre for Early Learning, in Melbourne, Victoria. As an early childhood teacher, it was the constant exposure to picture books enticed Janet to start writing her own. I was born in Melbourne at 11.45 pm on 21 June, shortly before my father's birthday on 22nd June. He thought I was the best birthday present ever. I have two older bothers, David and Peter. I always thought I could or should be able to do anything they did. I'm sure they got tired of me tagging along all the time. I grew very tall, very quickly. In Grade 5 I was the tallest child (girl or boy) in the class. I'm the one in the middle of the row of standing girls. I used to get tired of people saying, "You'll have to put a brick on your head." During that year I was very ill and had to stay home for eight weeks.