Colleen McCullough: From Thornbirds to Norfolk Island Gardens

June 1, 1937

On this day, we raise both teacup and trowel to celebrate the birthday of Colleen McCullough (“muh-CULL-ick”), the fiercely brilliant Australian novelist—and gardener at heart—whose imagination forever entwined nature, love, and literature.

To friends, she was simply “Col,” an unpretentious genius whose story is as sweeping as her landscapes.

Born amid the sun-warmed expanses of Australia, Colleen dazzled from an early age with her sharp intellect and inquisitive spirit.

Her journey would soon leap oceans to Yale, where, earning a living as a neurophysiologist by day, she scribbled stories by night on a $10,000 salary.

The product?

Tim: a quiet yet daring tale about an unlikely romance between a middle-aged widow and her gentle, developmentally disabled gardener—a story brought to silver-screen life by a young Mel Gibson.

However, it was The Thorn Birds—her magnum opus—that would cement Colleen’s place among literary royalty.

The saga of Meggie Cleary and the forbidden love that bound her to a Catholic priest echoed across continents, selling more than 30 million copies and blooming into a legendary TV miniseries.

Who could forget the novel’s haunting legend?

“There's a story... a legend, about a bird that sings just once in its life.

From the moment it leaves its nest, it searches for a thorn tree... and never rests until it's found one.

And then it sings... more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth.

And singing, it impales itself on the longest, sharpest thorn.

But, as it dies, it rises above its own agony, to outsing the lark and the nightingale. The thorn bird pays its life for just one song, but the whole world stills to listen, and God in his heaven smiles.”

With newfound fame, Colleen craved seclusion and wonder—and found it on Norfolk Island, a lush, windswept jewel between New Zealand and New Caledonia. There, she cultivated both her creative sanctuary and a sprawling garden paradise, watched over by Shady, her mischievous Persian cat with a penchant for rolling in Sweet Alice and sowing alyssum across the property in the most unexpected and whimsical fashion.

The garden—by all accounts—became a living extension of Colleen’s character.

Amid palm plantations and beneath the gaze of a gleaming glass screen (crafted by a celebrated woman artist, with a twin exhibited in Canberra’s Parliament House), guests and friends found a remarkable soul as generous as she was witty.

In 1997, Australia officially proclaimed Colleen a national treasure; the title suited her as effortlessly as a sun hat.

Horticulturalist Graham Ross fondly recalled his memorable visit to “Out Yenna” (Out Yonder in Norf’k):

“When we first met Colleen McCullough in her garden, ‘Out Yenna’ on Norfolk Island a decade or more ago, it was like meeting an old friend.

It’s a long drive through the Kentia palm plantation... to find the beautiful two-story weatherboard home. There was no greeting party of minders, no official anything, just a hearty 'G’day,' then 'would you like a cup of tea' followed by 'let’s look at the garden such as it is'...

The garden was entirely the domain and responsibility of her Persian cat, Shady, who would roll in Sweet Alice (Alyssum), gather seeds in her long fur, and then roll around elsewhere in the dirt distributing the seeds.

It was the largest planting of Sweet Alice we’d ever seen.
In the center of the garden was a magnificent glass screen by a woman artist... who also had a copy of the work, according to Colleen, 'hanging in Canberra’s Parliament House.'

But it was her finale, her coup de grace, that remains with us after the long chat and yarning.

We had recently published our first major text, 'Our World of Gardening,' with Simon and Schuster and took a copy for her as a sign of appreciation for her time.
What happened next remains with us as the true essence of Colleen McCullough. She was enormously grateful for our book.

At first, we thought 'overly so' but left the room after telling us of her gratitude.

Ten minutes later, she returned with a copy of every book she’d ever written from ‘Tim’ to the ‘Roman Series.’

She then proceeded to autograph and included a personal message of every publication. It was a hugely generous gesture and followed with the amazing statement, 'You are the first authors to ever offer me a copy of their book.'

A few photographs for the record were taken, a strong handshake, and we left with over a dozen books under our arms and a fond memory that remains fresh today.”

Though Colleen passed from this world in 2015, her garden—and her legend—live on as an invitation: come wander among the palm fronds, gather inspiration from a cat’s path, and find stories blooming where roots run deep and hearts sing one unforgettable song.