Migrating at the age of sixteen, Thomas Albert Roy came to Australia under the assisted passage scheme of the British Government. He was subsequently sent to work on a dairy farm located in tropical North Queensland and during the following year began cutting cane for the sugar mill in Mossman. The seasonal work in the cane fields enabled Roy to spend six months of the year prospecting for gold and tin, an undertaking which took him 'all the way up the east coast of Cape York to the tip of the Peninsula', a journey which he made 'mostly on foot'. It was during his extensive travels throughout far North Queensland that Roy came into contact with the Aboriginal tribes of the region. He has since remarked that 'without exception', the 'various tribes' welcomed him with 'warmth and hospitality' on all his journeys 'through their tribal territories'.
After completing the manuscripts of six unpublished novels (untraced), Roy was encouraged by his family to write about the time he spent with the Aboriginal tribes of the far north. Drawing on these experiences, Roy found the inspiration for his literary output and went on to produce his critically noted work, The Curse of the Turtle (1977). The book was the first of his three young adult novels, related by character and setting they comprise the author's 'Oonaderra Trilogy'. Written with 'authenticity and compassion', these books deal with Aboriginal-White relations and 'the conflicts and misunderstandings which can arise when two contrasting cultures meet'. Roy explained the theme of reconciliation which underpinned his narratives, stating: 'During 1970 a spate of racist articles as well as public utterances directed against the Aborigines were being aired in the press, magazines, radio and TV.... So that year I decided to repay my debt of gratitude to my Aboriginal friends of long ago by writing ... a series of novels that young and old may read, enjoy and, perhaps, learn to understand the need for racial tolerance and understanding'.
In 1982, Roy died shortly after completing the final book in the 'Oonaderra Trilogy'; The Man from the Dreamtime was published posthumously in 1994.
(Source: McVitty Authors and Illustrators of Australian Children's Books, 1989)
