Skepticlawyer

Those of you with any interest in Australian children’s literature would be aware of illustrator Kilmeny Niland. Like her mother Ruth Park, she played a significant and ongoing role in Australian literature, and in my appreciation of the various books she illustrated. I’ve long thought her beautiful artwork ensured that some books meant more to me than others when I was growing up.

What many people around Ozblogistan don’t know is that Kilmeny was partner to Rafe Champion, one of the grand old men of the Ozblogosphere. Rafe and I blogged together at Catallaxy; Rafe now spends much of his time at Club Troppo, as well as in the company of another blogger I greatly admire, Jim Belshaw. Rafe has been a regular and insightful commenter at this blog, and a polite and dignified contributer around the interwebs for many years; I’ve long had him mentally paired with Andrew Norton as ‘Australia’s politest blogger’.

Nick Gruen has a lovely post commemorating Kilmeny’s life up at Club Troppo; do read it. I’d also recommend Rafe’s own site, which she designed (with a lovely sense of whimsy) as well as her own archive, which I’m sure Rafe will preserve for as long as there are pixels. I’m proud to say that Kilmeny was my friend, and that her beautiful Christmas cards have become treasured heirlooms in my household.

I’ve included Kilmeny’s portrait of Barry Williams — erstwhile president of the Australian Skeptics — with this post, simply because it catches him so very well.

Rafe, our thoughts are with you and your family at this difficult time.

UPDATE: Details of the funeral and a planned art exhibition are available here.