Mackay children's author Rose-Marie Dusting talks conservation and shares her tribulations

Mackay author Rose-Marie Dusting created the character of Billy the Bilbie when she was just nine years old and after decades of struggling with health issues is hoping to bring Billy the Bilbie back to a bookshelf near you. READ MORE

Rose-Marie Dusting, the woman behind the tradition of Easter Bilbies, speaks about her experiences with health issues and her love of animals.

The iconic tradition of the Easter bilby is one that Australians have been drawn to for decade, but for the author who started it all, the idea of an Easter bilby began a long time ago in West Queensland.

Credited as the first ever published iteration of an Easter bilby, Mrs Dusting self-published her book Billy the Aussie Easter bilby in 1979, but the idea goes back another 11 years.

Mrs Dustings said that she came up with the idea while she was attending St Joseph’s school in Richmond, QLD when she met and befriended a bilby.

“I was just nine years old and my teacher, a nun, kept the drawings of my experience and said ‘this is going to be what our school is famous for one day’”, Mrs Dusting said.

“She actually got in touch with me years later and told me ‘you didn’t create this in 1979, this was created in March 1968.”

Since then Mrs Dustings life has been marred by a series of serious health problems, which began when she was hit by a drunk driver.

The driver, who was travelling at 90km/h T-boned Mrs Dusting’s car when she was on her way home from work.

The crash partially severed her spinal cord and greatly limited her mobility.

An accredited journalist, Rose-Marie studied at the Australian school of journalism in 1989.

Her troubles did not end there, as in 2016 Mrs Dusting was diagnosed with breast cancer, had a heart attack in 2018 and superior mesenteric artery syndrome, a rare heart condition that only one in one million people will get.

“I’m very lucky you know,” Mrs Dusting said wryly.

Mrs Dusting attributes her determination and positivity in the face of these conditions to her Christian faith, the support of her family including husband Anthony, daughter Chloe, son Samuel and grandchildren Levi and Gatling Kenwright and Henry Dusting.

Far from finished, Mrs Dusting has recently completed two new manuscripts, which she hopes will be published shortly.

The first one, aimed at all audiences is called I get it and is filled with positive quotes and anecdotes from her life.

Mrs Dusting aspires to see I get it in every high school in Australia.

The other is the origin story for Billy the Easter bilby and tells the true story of her experience at age 9.

Darrell Lea's chocolate bilby's were inspired by Billy and the company supports conservation efforts to this day.

Mrs Dusting’s experience have gone on to inspire Darrell Lea to create their own chocolate Easter bilby and Mrs Dusting shared that she was also in negotiations with Cadbury. “They want my bilby,” she said smiling.

Mrs Dustings mission as a writer has always been and remains conservation.

“I’m worried about the fate of our Australian animals.”

“The koala is one of our most endangered species at the moment.

“I believe in education and action.

In addition to her conservation work, Rose-Marie Dusting has also said she will soon be teaching creative writing for adults in Mackay.

“Billy Bilby is going to be the spokesperson for all the endangered Australian animals.”