Jessica Anderson was born in Gayndah, Queensland, and educated in Brisbane. Her adult life was largely spent in Sydney, where she wrote radio plays, stories for periodicals, and novels. Her novel Tirra Lirra By the River, won the Miles Franklin Award in 1978. Other novels included The Impersonators, which also won the Miles Franklin Award in 1980 and the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards -Christina Stead Prize for Fiction in 1981; Taking Shelter; and The Commandant.

Hugh Anderson, born in Elmore, Victoria, has had a long teaching and administrative career with the Victorian Education Department and has been one of Australia's most prolific writers. He has published over one hundred titles in Australian history, biography, literary criticism, folklore, folk song and balladry, and bibliography. In 1978 he set up his own publishing firm under the name of Red Rooster Press, specialising in history and folklore.

Philosopher and educationist.

Writer

Andrew Matthias Anderson was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1878. He came to Brisbane in 1883 and worked in a variety of occupations. After his retirement in 1943, he published a book of poetry 'The hut: and other verse' (Brisbane, 1960).

Key coordinator spanning FOCO's entire history, President of FOCO.

Clerk, poet, ethnologist, librarian, editor, historian.