Dorothy Howard, an American scholar,educator and ethnographer with aninternational perspective and reputation, wasborn in 1902 and died in 1996. A pioneer ontwo continents, she spent 10 months in themid-1950s in Australia as a post-doctoralFulbright scholar, collecting children’s playloreacross the country – the first time anyone hadattempted to map and analyse the inheritedand adapted play traditions of Australianchildren. An elegant writer and inspiringeducator, her life’s work provides a radical perspective on theinteraction between a society’s economic structure, social moresand ideology, and the lives of its children.

Dr June Factor, a widely published writer and folklorist with aspecial interest in childhood, is an Honorary Senior ResearchFellow at the Australian Centre, School of Historical Studies.