‘‘There wasn’t enough cobalt in the soil, and too much pumice, so the trees were rather low and sad. ‘‘They were rather stunted trees,’’ she recalls. More of Lynley Dodd's beloved characters.īorn in Rotorua in 1941, Dodd’s father was a forester, and the family lived in a tiny settlement (of between four and 10 houses) surrounded by a pine forest. Published in 1974, My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes (with Eve Sutton) remains in print, but it was the unruly terrier who would make Dodd famous when her tenth book, Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, was published in 1983. I was worried someone might recognise me as I walked around.’’īefore the famous dog with flyaway hair, Dodd had early success with a story about a cat. ‘‘When I first saw the exhibition, I was tempted to wear a false nose and a trenchcoat with the collar turned up. The artist planned to attend the Mornington opening, but had to cancel the visit to care for her husband.

The exhibition, which opened in Tauranga Art Gallery and was curated by director Penelope Jackson, is made up of 59 original sketches and drawings from Dodd’s books, including the Hairy Maclary series.

Speaking from her home in Tauranga, New Zealand, Dodd (who was awarded the Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002) is the subject of a retrospective at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery. Credit: Penguin Group (NZ) and Lynley Dodd Doggerel: Hairy Maclary and Friends, Lynley Dodd, 2012.

Lynley dodd hairy maclary