Maurice Saxby was born on December 26, 1924 in Sydney, Australia. He received a bachelor of arts from the University of Sydney in 1954 and a master of education in 1967. He served in the Australian Imperial Forces from 1943 to 1946. He was a teacher with the New South Wales Department of Education, a lecturer with the New South Wales State Teachers' Colleges, and Professor and Head of the English Department at Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education.
He was also an author and an authority on children's literature and on Australian children's writing in particular. He was the first national president of the Children's Book Council of Australia, promoted the introduction of courses in children's literature in academic institutions, and lectured on the subject in Great Britain, Germany, Canada, and the United States.
He received numerous awards during his lifetime including the Pixie O'Harris award for distinguished service to children's books, the Lady Cutler Award for Distinguished Service to Children's Literature, the Nan Chauncy Award, and the Dromkeen Medal. He also received an Order of Australia. He died on November 30, 2014 at the age of 89.
030