Betty Roland (1903-1996) was born Mary Isabel Maclean in Victoria, Australia on 22
July 1903 (she changed her name to Betty Roland in 1951). She married Peter Davies
at the age of 19, and had a son. She worked as a journalist and playwright, and
in the late 1920s met Guido Baracchi, a wealthy Marxist (which seems something of
a contradiction in terms.) After separating from her husband, she and Baracchi travelled
to Russia, where Betty worked on the Moscow Daily News. In 1935 she returned to
Australia, and became involved in left wing politics. She continued writing plays
and scripts, and set up the New Theatre League. The relationship with Baracchi broke
up, and in 1952, Betty left for London with her daughter, Gilda, where she wrote
for magazines and comics. After returning to Australia in 1961, she set up an artists’
community, and wrote several children’s books.
As far as I know, the only pony-related title she wrote was Jamie’s Other Grandmother,
aimed at the younger reader. There are two other books about Jamie: Jamie’s Summer
Visitor (Bodley Head, 1964) and Jamie’s Discovery (Bodley Head, 1963), which look
as if they are also based on the sheep farm, but I haven’t yet been able to source
copies to make sure.
The books are easy to find, and not expensive, though it is difficult to find copies
which are not ex school library.
Sources:
Betty Roland in Girl
A photograph of Betty Roland
Jamie’s Other Grandmother
Bodley Head, Acorn Library, 1970, illus Prudence Seward
Jamie finds out he has another grandmother; a very wealthy one who lives in
Australia
on a sheep farm. Jamie, despite not been keen to start with, spends
Christmas with
her.
