Albert Ullin

Albert Ullin OAM
Born	(1930-04-29)29 April 1930 Frankfurt, Germany
Died	12 September 2018(2018-09-12) (aged 88) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	German
Citizenship	Australian
Occupation	Bookseller

Albert Henry Ullin OAM (29 April 1930 – 12 September 2018) was a German Australian bookseller and the founder of Australia's first children's bookstore, The Little Bookroom. He nurtured emerging children's writers and illustrators.

Early years

Ullin was born in Frankfurt, and arrived in Melbourne in 1939 as a nine-year-old, escaping pre-war Germany via Italy with his family.[1]

Career

Ullin developed his interest in children's picture-books while working for booksellers Robertson & Mullens in Melbourne.[2] Ullin promoted Australian children's books at the Bologna Book Fair.[3] Ullin served as judge on both the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and the Children's Book Council of Australia Crichton Award.[4]

The Little Bookroom

Ullin founded Australia’s first children’s bookstore, The Little Bookroom,[5] opening on 13 October 1960.[6][4][7] Ullin sold the business to staff in 2004.[8] The bookstore was first established in the Metropol Arcade before moving to an Elizabeth St location, opposite the GPO. The store later relocated to Carlton with a small branch at Degraves Street.[8] The bookstore was named after Eleanor Farjeon's book of short stories "The Little Bookroom" and Ullin wrote to Farjeon to request the use of the name and to illustrator Edward Ardizzone requesting an illustration to be the logo for the bookstore.[1]

Writing fellowships

Ullin was the National Mentorship Coordinator for the May Gibbs Literature Trust which supports Australian creators of books for children through fellowships and residencies for authors and illustrators.[9]

Children's Book Council of Australia

Ullin held various positions in the Children's Book Council of Australia Victoria Branch between 1979 and 1988.[10] Ullin served as judge on both the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and the CBCA Crichton Award for New Illustrators.[10] In 2009, he was awarded the Leila St John Award by CBCA Victoria[10] and an honorary lifetime membership, in recognition of his services to children’s literature in Victoria.[10]

Awards

• 1986 Dromkeen Medal for outstanding achievement in the advancement of Australian children's and young adult literature[11][12]
• 1997 Medal of the Order of Australia for services to children's literature in Australia and beyond[6]
• 2009 lifetime achievement award by the Australian Booksellers Association[13]
• 2009 Leila St John Award by the Children's Book Council of Australia, Victorian branch
• Honorary Life Member of the Children’s Book Council of Australia[4]

Legacy

Ullin donated his personal collection of Australian children’s book illustrations to the National Gallery of Victoria.[6] Ullin created the Ullin Prize for Children's Illustration at the Wheeler Centre for Books Writing and Ideas.[6] The inaugural prize was awarded to Andrew McLean in 2020 in recognition of his 40 year career in book illustration.[14] Jane Tanner and Judith Rossell won in 2022 and 2024 respectively.[15]

Further reading

Albert Ullin OAM (1930-2018) by Dr. Juliet O'Conor

Records of Albert Ullin and The Little Bookroom [manuscript], State Library Victoria

References

1. Kett, Margaret Robson (14 November 2017). "Foreign Correspondence: The Little Bookroom". The Horn Book. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
2. "Albert Ullin and The Little Bookroom". YouTube. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2018. Interview with Jennifer Byrne (ABC's The Book Club)
3. Ullin, Albert (24 March 1989). "A potpourri of fact and fiction from Down Under. (children's book publishing in Australia) (Bologna '89)". Publishers Weekly. Vol. 235, no. 12. PWxyz, LLC. pp. 37–38. ISSN 0000-0019.
4. Binks, Danielle (2 December 2013). "All grown up: a brief history of The Little Bookroom". Kill Your Darlings. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
5. O'Conor, Juliet (17 January 2020). "Albert Ullin OAM (1930-2018)". State Library of Victoria blog. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
6. Standish, John (24 July 2015). "Bunyips and dragons: children's books and their illustrations". ABC Radio Melbourne. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
7. Munro, Craig (2006). Paper empires : a history of the book in Australia, 1946-2005. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 0702235733.
8. "Albert is living the fantasy". CBD News. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
9. Prentice, Jeffrey (2007). "Creative Fellowships and Residencies – the work of the May Gibbs Literature Trust in Australia". The Looking Glass: New Perspectives on Children's Literature. Vol. 11, no. 3. ISSN 1551-5680. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
10. "CBCA - Vale Albert Ullin (1930 - 2018)". Children's Book Council of Australia. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
11. "Previous recipients: Dromkeen Medal". State Library Victoria. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
12. Grieve, Ann (1987). "A salute to Albert Ullin: winner of the Dromkeen Medal 1987". Reading Time. Vol. 31, no. 4. pp. 7–9. ISSN 0155-218X.
13. "Albert Ullin". The Wheeler Centre. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
14. "McLean receives inaugural $10k Albert Ullin Award". Books+Publishing. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
15. "Albert Ullin Award". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 29 January 2025.

Further reading

• Goodman, J. (2004). Albert Ullin and his collection of illustrations from children's books. Magpies: Talking About Books for Children, Vol. 19: 8-9.
• Goodman, Jo. (2009) Albert Ullin. Magpies: Talking About Books for Children, Vol. 24, No. 4: 18-19.
• Prentice, Jeffrey (2010). The little bookroom : fifty years with children's books (1st ed.). Braidwood Press. ISBN 978-0-9593428-8-8.