On her return, Coral created activity sheets for children with the aim of passing on both her fascination with Antarctica and her passion for preserving its unique qualities. These can be found on our educational resources page.
As the result of her trip, Coral researched, wrote and illustrated a new non-fiction work, Antarctica: Heart of the World, for ABC Books, which won the prestigious Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature in 2004. It was published in the United States in March 2006 and was named one of the best books of the year by Science Books and Films US in February 2007.
Coral spent the early part of August 2004 as writer/artist in residence at the Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre in Western Australia. Here, an exhibition showcasing the educational material and artwork created as a result of her 1998–99 Fellowship was on display for the 2004 school year.
Coral has also participated on several occasions in the AAD’s educational program during the Hobart Midwinter Festival.
Coral has also written a book about Macquarie Island, together with fellow Antarctic Arts Fellow Alison Lester. In 2012, the book was awarded the prestigious Eve Pownall Award for Information Books, by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. The book has also won the Wilderness Society’s Environment Award for Children’s Literature, and the Whitely certificate of commendation in the children’s book category from the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales.
Antarctic Impression
“I have been so privileged to have been a part of the Antarctic Arts Fellowship. From the time I applied for a voyage south with the Australian Antarctic Division, I have been given extraordinary encouragement and support from all the Antarctic family I've been so fortunate to have met. I can think of no greater creative freedom for any artist than what is offered to applicants of this program. Often working in isolation within our particular fields, a voyage south dictates collaboration to achieve its goals. You become a part of the history of an expedition, where a strong bond is created between all who are a part.
“For me, a voyage south was a rite of passage. To enter through the icy fringes of the southern ocean and on to the continent, I found that my perceptions, my ways of describing the life around me were dramatically altered. The enormous power and importance of the continent is humbling and I felt extraordinary peace. My trip south has influenced the last five years of my work and I am unashamedly obsessed by Antarctica. My current projects are a fiction, games and a series of lithographic works based on the continent.”