Yes! I remember these. Like you, I have memories of reading them at the library. I am pleased to note also my local library has The Quinkins and am planning on introducing these to my children as I believe they are fantastic.

Oh yes! They scared me to death - but in that good way.

I also had the Rainbow Serpent and another Dick Roughsey book, The Giant Devil Dingo.

I had to hide The Giant Devil Dingo under other books because the cover was so scary - but I loved it.

THANK YOU!!! thank you, thank you, thank you

I have been trying to remember the name of this book for nigh on three years.

I loved this book as a young 'un and the Imjim scared the bejeezus out of me.

elaine that's one of the best responses I could have asked for! I get irritated enough when I can't remember a word for a day, but three years tops it. Glad to have helped.

I also loved these books as a child and was deliciously scared by them. I now have the fun of introducing them to a whole new generation of kids in my Yr 3 class. They are just as intrigued by them as I was.

We named our second daughter Leealin after reading this book to my elder daughter. Some years later, I found in a bulanji dictionnary that Leealin means “young daughter”.

DOes anyone remember The Hobiard?? I don’t know if that’s the right spelling—I was achild when I read it in the school library. It seemed to be about a Timara that was trying to steal a family, and the pet dog kept barking to alert the farmer, but the famrmer kept punishing the barking dog by removing its limbs. In the end, the hobiard has taken the whole family in a sack to a cave. I can’t recall the rest, and sadly, this book doesn’t come up when Googled! I’d love to find it.

Ingrid I think you mean the “Hobyahs”. My dad used to read that story to us all the time and poor little dog dingo was just trying to protect his family. I have twin month old daughters and I can’t wait to read them the rainbow serpent and the Hobyahs

I loved these books as a child. I absolutely adored the Quinkins – one of my most favourite books ever. Every now and then I have a hunt to see if there’s a copy i can buy for my kids to read. So far nothing. :( I could always remember the Imjim, but could never recall the name of the others – i thought they were “quinkin” but now i see where my wires were crossed – thanks so much for posting this.

I loved the devil dog one too, our school library had it, and it was WILDLY popular. Everyone got the jitters from that big dog – that thing is scary.

Turramulli The Giant Quinkin was another book. I first read it when I was three and it scared the hell out of me. I literally couldn’t sleep for months as a kid.

I also drew of picture of Turramulli, the Imjin Quinkins and the people in the story, and still have the framed picture to this day.

Turns out Turramulli is likely to have been a Gigantopithecus, a real 3m tall hairy ape like creature surviving until as recently as a couple hundred thousand years ago.

Anyway, love the series of books and so glad so many others do as well.

Stewart! Thank you thank you thank you! That’s it! The Hobyahs!! I’d love to get the book, read it to my nieces. I don’t know how this generation of kids would handle these beautifully dark tales considering how sanitised their viewing is.

I also was trying to remember the Timara after I saw a picture of some tall ghostly figures in a news article. Such a strange trigger! I had forgotten about these books, I must have read quite a few Roughsey books as a kid. Thank you for posting this and solving my memory lapse :)