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Sheila Natusch

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Sheila Natusch
MNZM
Born
Sheila Ellen Traill

(1926-02-14)14 February 1926
Invercargill,New Zealand
Died10 August 2017(2017-08-10)(aged 91)
Wellington,New Zealand
Alma materUniversity of Otago
Spouse
Gilbert Gardner Natusch
​
​
(m.1950; died 2005)​
RelativesRoy Traill(father)
Eliza Wohlers(great-grandmother)
Johan Wohlers(great-grandfather)

Sheila Ellen NatuschMNZM(néeTraill,14 February 1926 – 10 August 2017) was a New Zealand writer and freelance illustrator. Many of her books cover natural history and the history of southern New Zealand, particularlyStewart Island.

Early life and family

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Born Sheila Ellen Traill inInvercargillon 14 February 1926, Natusch was the daughter ofRobert Henry "Roy" Traill,whose father had emigrated to New Zealand fromOrkney,andMichigan-born Dorothea Ellen Traill (née Moseley).[1][2][3]Through her father, Natusch was the great-granddaughter ofEliza Wohlersand her husband, German missionaryJohan Wohlers.[2][4]She grew up on Stewart Island, where her father was the wildlife ranger for 33 years, and received her secondary education atSouthland Girls' High School.[1]She then studied at Dunedin Teachers' Training College where she met and befriendedJanet Frame.[5]The two became lifelong friends; in fact Natusch was the first person to read Frame's manuscript forOwls Do Cry.[5]Later she studied at theUniversity of Otago,graduating Bachelor of Arts in 1948 and Master of Arts with second-class honours in 1949.[1][6]In 1950, she married Gilbert Gardner Natusch, a hydro-engineer, and the couple lived inWellington.[1][4]

Professional life

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Natusch wrote, illustrated or compiled over 77 books for adults and children.[7]In the2007 New Year Honours,Natusch was appointed aMember of the New Zealand Order of Meritfor services as a writer and illustrator.[8]

A documentary about Natusch's life,No Ordinary Sheila,by her cousin New Zealand director Hugh Macdonald, featured in the 2017 New Zealand International Film Festival.[9]

Natusch died in Wellington on 10 August 2017.[10][11]

Legacy

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In 2017, Natusch was selected as one of theRoyal Society Te Apārangi's"150 women in 150 words",celebrating women's contributions to knowledge in New Zealand.[12]

Lake Sheila on Stewart Island was named after Natusch by her father Roy Traill, a name he suggested after she had accompanied him on numerous expeditions around theFreshwater Riverarea.[13]

Selected works

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  • Native plants:an introduction to the plant life of New Zealand by Sheila Natusch.Christchurch, N.Z.: Pegasus, 1956
  • Native rockby Sheila Natusch. Wellington N.Z.: Reed, 1959/1967
  • Stewart Islandby N.S. Seaward and Sheila Natusch. Christchurch, N.Z.: Pegasus, 1962
  • Animals of New Zealandby Sheila Natusch. Christchurch, Whitcombe & Tombs, 1967
  • A bunch of wild orchidsby Sheila Natusch. Christchurch, N.Z.: Pegasus, 1968
  • Hell and high water:a German occupation of the Chatham Islands,1843-1910 by Sheila Natusch. Christchurch, N.Z.: Pegasus, c1977
  • An island called home by Sheila Natusch. Invercargill, N.Z.: Craig Printing Co., 1992ISBN9780908629381Letters from Jeanedited by Sheila Natusch. (by Janet Frame). Wellington N.Z.: Nestegg Books, 2004
  • So far so good:an autobiographyby Sheila Natusch. Wellington, N.Z.: Nestegg, 2007

References

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  1. ^abcd"Natusch, Sheila".The Community Archive.Archives New Zealand. 2009.Retrieved6 August2017.
  2. ^abO'Brien, Brian."Traill, Robert Henry".Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.Ministry for Culture and Heritage.Retrieved14 August2017.
  3. ^"Dorothea Ellen Moseley".Fergus(son) of Moulin.Don Ferguson. 14 August 2017.Retrieved14 August2017.
  4. ^abTansley, Rebecca (September 2015)."Force of nature"(PDF).University of Otago Magazine.No. 41. pp. 10–13.Retrieved14 August2017.
  5. ^ab"Life of naturalist and illustrator Sheila Natusch celebrated in new documentary - thisNZlife".thisnzlife.co.nz.Retrieved28 November2018.
  6. ^"NZ university graduates 1870–1961: T".Shadows of Time.Retrieved14 August2017.
  7. ^Smith, Rosemarie (19 February 2013)."Sheila Natusch: rising to the challenge".Southland Times.Retrieved6 August2017.
  8. ^"New Year honours list 2007".Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 30 December 2006.Retrieved14 August2017.
  9. ^"No Ordinary Sheila 2017".nziff.co.nz.New Zealand Film Festival Trust. 2017.Retrieved6 August2017.
  10. ^"No Ordinary Sheila: famed NZ naturalist Sheila Natusch has died".Stuff.co.nz.14 August 2017.Retrieved14 August2017.
  11. ^"In memory of Sheila Ellen Natusch".Tributes Online.Retrieved14 August2017.
  12. ^"Sheila Natusch".Royal Society Te Apārangi.Retrieved27 April2021.
  13. ^"Place name detail: Lake Sheila".New Zealand Gazetteer.New Zealand Geographic Board.Retrieved21 June2024.
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