Professor Helen Milroy is an author, psychiatrist, professor and proud Palyku woman from Western Australia. Helen’s literary journey began with her passion for storytelling and her desire to share the history and traditions of her people. Initially, she pursued her education in medicine and, in 1983, became Australia’s first Aboriginal Medical Doctor. Helen continued her studies and later graduated from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London, going on to become a Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Western Australia, an Honorary Research Fellow at the Telethon Kids Institute, a Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission and even receiving an Order of Australia Medal.
In comparison to her work in the medical field, Helen’s work as a children’s author has been relatively short, but no less impressive. Her first book ‘Wombat, Mudlark and Other Stories’ was published in 2019 and, in 2020, was shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier’s Book Award. Since then, Helen has published 12 books, including Willy-Willy Wagtail: Tales from the Bush Mob, The Emu Who Ran Through the Sky and Penguin Oh Penguin; which she co-wrote with her mother, Gladys Milroy.