Ion Llewellyn Idriess,(20 September 1889, Waverley, New South Wales 6 June 1979, Mona Vale, New South Wales) was a prolific and influential Australian author.He wrote more than 50 books over 43 years between 1927 to 1969 - an average of one book every 10 months, and twice published three books in one year (1932 and 1940). His first book was Madman's Island, published in 1927 at the age of 38, and his last was written at the age of 79. Called Challenge of the North, it told of Idriess's ideas for developing the north of Australia.Several of his works, The Cattle King (1936) and Flynn of the Inland (1932) had more than forty reprintings.
