GLENVILLE Pike, better known as Sundowner to many North Queensland readers, was born in Toowoomba, September 11, 1925.
He was the son of Effie Francis and Captain John Pike who migrated from New Zealand.
At his mother's encouragement, he began writing articles for children's pages as a young child, and at the age of just 12 years old, began his freelance writing career.
Glenville started documenting North Queensland history in the 1940s, and his writing became quite prolific during the 1950s and 60s due to the fact that many of the old-timers from the late 1800s were still alive.
He began the iconic Around the Campfire column for the North Queensland Register in 1947 using the pen name of 'Sundowner'.
The column continues to this day - a journalistic feat which would have few equals in the history of Australian journalism. The stories had been related to him by pioneers of the North, and old-timers saw the column as an opportunity to remember, correct and elaborate on the subject matter.
In 2008, Glenville realised his health was failing and informed the Register's editor that he would continue writing for as long as he could, and would create a portfolio of Around the Campfire articles so that his readers could continue reading the column long after he had passed on.
The importance of the Around the Campfire series is that living history has been preserved, and through the litany of memories published, allows people to feel as though they had 'been there'.
Glenville Pike has published 45 books, about half of which are based on his own research. The remainder were books which he had edited. On two occasions, Glenville started his own magazine - in 1954 he started the North Australian Monthly and in 1985 the Northern Sun. He has won a number of awards including the Foxwood Award for Pioneers' Country in 1976 and the inaugural Cairns Hospital Society's S E Stephens Award in 2005. In the 2000 New Year Honours, Glenville was awarded the OAM as official recognition for his literary achievements.
In an interview with Eugenie Navarre in 2007, Glenville said he lived through the best times - the 1930s and 1940s. Today, he said, the adventure had gone - "Too many four-wheel drives, too many good roads and people want all the mod cons".
Glenville Pike passed away in the Mareeba Hospital on May 4, 2011, with friends at his bedside. He had no living relatives.
