Book Farm Closes with TreeLine Bang!
Posted on 18th Feb 10.

The Book Farm at Maleny, which has welcomed school groups for more than 20 years, is about to close its doors with a bang, as part of the TreeLine Project 2010 coordinated by the Sunshine Coast Council Galleries.

The Book Farm is the home and place of inspiration of award-winning author Jill Morris, who has inspired thousands of young visitors in writing and artistic expression since 1988, using her remnant rainforest, hexagonal studio home, ‘enchanted cabin’  and 50 acres of rolling hills on Obi Obi Creek.

As part of the TreeLine project, Jill is holding a Tree Tales Festival at the Book Farm every morning 10am-12noon from Monday 15 March until Friday 19 March. ‘Schools booked the festival out virtually overnight as soon as it was announced.’ Jill said, ‘but I am making a film of my life at the Book Farm which can be shared by all in the future’.

The Tree Tales Festival program includes Jill’s 10-minute film, an art workshop with illustrator Heather Gall and an environmental science puzzle activity. Retired teacher librarians and teachers are assisting at the festival, where participating children will be invited to take home some of Jill’s ‘junk’, consisting of posters, cards and hundreds of free books.

Jill’s film, Some of My Best Friends are Trees, relates how the rainforest at Binna Burra in Lamington National Park was a comfort at the time of her father’s death in 1944. A book by fellow children’s author Michael Noonan (In the Land of the Talking Trees about a soldier in New Guinea) arrived for Jill’s tenth birthday, the year after her father contracted a terminal disease in New Guinea. Jill’s new film also shows school groups from Woombye (Sunshine Coast) and Indooroopilly (Brisbane) in action at the Book Farm, watering baby trees and reciting their own poetry.

The film features original music by Sunshine Coast film-maker Leanne Farmiloe. Jill’s poem ‘If I Were a Tree’ is sung in the film by Meryl Frederick. Leanne’s daughter Rose Farmiloe plays Jill at the age of nine, writing her first poem at the age of nine beside a Binna Burra waterfall. 

Some of My Best Friends are Trees will be available on DVD for teacher librarians and families, from Peace of Green, Maple Street Maleny.

Phone 07 5494 3000 for news of further screenings.