Mike Lefroy

Mike Lefroy is a fifth generation Western Australian. His great great grandfather was John Septimus Roe, the state’s first Surveyor General. His great grandfather was C Y O’Connor the Chief Engineer of Fremantle Harbour and the Goldfields pipeline.

Mike worked in schools in Australia, England and America before joining the Endeavour Replica Project in Fremantle. Since then he has worked as Head of Education at the WA Maritime Museum and with the Duyfken Foundation. He currently works as a freelance educator and writer.

Mike has written many books for children – most are about ships and the sea.

His love affair with boats began in a fruit box in the back garden with an old sheet for a sail. He eventually graduated to real boats and has been to sea in all types of watercraft ever since.

In 2021 Mike is highlighting his latest writing project– Cricket the Aussie Way! – with Justin Langer. The book is aimed at mid primary students – particularly girls and boys keen on cricket. It is also very relevant for reluctant readers who would rather be outside swinging a bat and hitting a ball.

The book is illustrated by Khrob Edmonds who is also available for school visits. Khrob does all the illustrations – there are over 60 – on his ipad, and he is able to give kids a fascinating insight into the process of creating digital images.

Another highlight for 2021 is the Endeavour voyage of Captain Cook and the complex and contested story surrounding his arrival in Australian waters.

As well as exploring Cook’s expertise as a sailor, navigator and leader, it is an opportunity to engage in an important national conversation. Was Cook a discoverer or the forerunner of a European invasion? Were the Aboriginal peoples he came across backward nomadic tribes, or were they farmers with a sophisticated understanding of a land that European eyes struggled to comprehend?

As part of this conversation we look at the way our public statues, civic buildings, parks and roads often link to histories that need revisiting with different understandings of the people behind them and their stories.

Mike also lead walks in Fremantle through his company Museums Without Walls that highlight the stories of our ancient land and the early history of the Swan River Colony.

For more details: www.mikelefroy.com

Curriculum links:

For years 3 to 6:  HASS, Health, Science, Technologies, The Arts

For years 7 – 10:  History, Geography, Science, Technology and Health