Curley Gum Visits The Park

Stories From Nutlidge

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The Artist

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Nutlidge Birds

About The Author

Mary Jane Bayliss (alias “Yellow Flower”) was born in Birmingham, England, in 1963, and migrated to Australia with her family in 1965. Growing up in Morgan, a town on the River Murray in South Australia, Mary was exposed to the Australian flora, with which she fell in love, and collected in the hundreds every type of seedpod and nut species she could find.
Many creations came forth. In 1980, the first nut man was created. He was first called a “Morganite.” This was enough to begin an amazing journey into the world of Nutley
characters and creatures that brought joy to many people, including their creator, the “nut lady.” Anything was possible for this multi-talented artist, who turned nature’s gifts into magnificent pieces of Australian art.
At the age of twenty-five, Mary traveled to tropical North Queensland, living for a year in absolute
paradise. She had begun the most amazing spiritual journey she could have ever imagined.
In 1992, and back in South Australia, Mary brought forth her greatest creation, her beautiful son,
Calum, and another journey of a different sort began. The joys of motherhood inspired her even
more to write for children. During this time she opened a spiritual bookshop where she pursued
her psychic readings and went forth to become a Reiki master, medium, and teacher of spiritual
wisdom and healing.

Eventually in 2002, and back in Queensland, Mary put her mind to the stories that
she had written, and began to form a collection of works to one day publish.
The novel, Nutlidge, first published in 2005, is being released again to a worldwide audience.
Mary’s friend, photographer Paul Jons, captured Mary’s creations beautifully,
enabling her to use the photos in a series of Curley Gum adventures.

Mary is now age 60, and endeavors to share her unique Nutleys with the children of the world.