A Geelong artist - a national treasure I reckon

from w
A book illustator, Robert Ingpen, lives in the Geelong region and has had a prolific career as an illustrator of children and adult books - fiction - especially fantasy and books about nature. Born Geelong 1936. educated at Geelong College 1957, with a Diploma of Graphic Art at RMIT in Melbourne 1958, he was appointed as an artist at CSIRO to visually interpret and communicate the results of scientific research. Since then he began work as freelance designer, illustrator and author. He was also a member of a United Nations team in Mexico and Peru until 1975.

Robert has written and/or-illustrated more than 100 published books. These include children's picture books and fictional stories for all ages. His nonfiction books mostly relate to history , conservation, environment and health issues.


Every year in April the children of Geelong join in a festival, called the Poppykettle Festival which is based on the book by Ingpen about the journey across the Pacific of a group of elves in a tea kettle and they arrive in Geelong.