Sheila Natusch


Sheila Ellen Natusch was a New Zealand writer and freelance illustrator. Many of her books cover natural history and the history of southern New Zealand, particularly Stewart Island.

Early life and family

Born Sheila Ellen Traill in Invercargill on 14 February 1926, Natusch was the daughter of Robert Henry "Roy" Traill, whose father had emigrated to New Zealand from Orkney, and Michigan-born Dorothea Ellen Traill. Through her father, Natusch was the great-granddaughter of Eliza Wohlers and her husband, German missionary Johan Wohlers. She grew up on Stewart Island, where her father was the wildlife ranger for 33 years, and received her secondary education at Southland Girls' High School. She then studied at Dunedin Teachers' Training College where she met and befriended Janet Frame. The two became life long friends; in fact Natusch was the first person to read Frame's manuscript for Owls Do Cry. Later she studied at the University of Otago, graduating Bachelor of Arts in 1948 and Master of Arts with second-class honours in 1949. In 1950, she married Gilbert Gardner Natusch, a hydro-engineer, and the couple lived in Wellington.

Professional life

Natusch wrote, illustrated or compiled over 77 books for adults and children. In the 2007 New Year Honours, Natusch was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services as a writer and illustrator.
A documentary about Natusch's life, No Ordinary Sheila, by her cousin New Zealand director Hugh Macdonald, featured in the 2017 New Zealand International Film Festival.
Natusch died in Wellington on 10 August 2017.

Selected works