Ida Rentoul Outhwaite (1888-1961) and her elder sister, Annie, were raised in Melbourne, Australia by affluent, cultured parents. They were told fairy stories by their parents at bedtime and were so impressed that they decided to write their own. Their first book {Molly's Bunyip} (1904) was written by Annie and illustrated by Ida when she was only 16 years old.
Ida went on to publish many fairy books and postcards, and they became enormously popular both in Australia and England. {Fairyland} (1931) was perhaps her greatest work, but by this time luxurious books of fantasy had passed out of fashion and her work had lost some of its popularity.