For Tilbuster author and farmer Troy Gerdes, inspiration is never far away. Whether it’s a crow stealing an egg from the chook pen, a snail crossing the verandah, or the daily rhythms of farm life, the stories behind his growing collection of children’s books are firmly rooted in the land he calls home.
Troy and his wife Kylie have now published seven Australian children’s books inspired by life at Elderslie, their 520-acre property nestled between the New England Highway and the foot of Mount Duval.
“Elderslie is a beef, pork and lamb property at Tilbuster,” Troy said.
“I purchased the property about 18 years ago and raised my three sons here. I was raised on 12 acres out along Rockvale Road and dreamed of one day owning my own land.”
The property holds deep significance for both the Gerdes family and the wider community.
“Elderslie is a very special place, being a significant area to the local Anawan people as the entry to big brother, Mount Duval,” he said.
“Elderslie is home to domestic and native animals alike, and all are welcome here. I personally draw inspiration from my daily interaction with all life on Elderslie.”
That connection to the land began in childhood. Troy spent his younger years breeding chooks, raising poddy lambs and learning practical bush skills that would later shape both his farming life and his writing.
“My father taught me about growing fruit and veggies, and that we should respect the animals we harvest by giving them the best life we can give them, and using as much of the carcass as we can,” he said.
“I have passed these lessons on to my boys and watch in awe as they work the farm.”
Alongside a love of farming came a love of words.
Troy credits former farm manager Baden Howe with helping him discover bush poetry.
“Baden taught me how to rhyme and use a meter when you write,” he said.
“We would write each other poems to try and outdo each other. It was very funny, and a lot of fun.”
Long family road trips also played a role in nurturing that passion.
“When the radio signal died, Dad would recite ‘The Man from Snowy River’ or ‘Mulga Bill’s Bicycle’,” Troy said.
Today, Troy continues to write poetry, drawing inspiration from both the joys and challenges of rural life. His work has tackled subjects including drought and mental health, with one poem, Strength in Numbers, attracting more than 95,000 likes on Facebook.
His children’s books, however, often focus on the lighter side of country living.
“Our poems and children’s books often feature animals from the farm and surrounding bushland,” he said.
“Our books make use of plenty of poetic licence, as inspiration for a book could come from hurling a snail off our verandah, or from a crow stealing an egg from our chook pen.”
Readers familiar with Elderslie may even recognise some of the characters and locations featured in the stories.
“The characters in our books are all based on real creatures from on and around Elderslie,” Troy said.
“The broken Hills Hoist is real and was knocked over by the farmer – me. Stanley the leopard slug was found by Kylie on our back deck.”
“When you read our books, you are at Elderslie, where magic happens.”
One book in particular remains especially close to his heart.
After publishing their first title, Life Out Here, Kylie challenged Troy to write a story for their newborn grandson Chuck.
“Given newborns don’t do an awful lot, I had to use that old poetic licence and add a couple of years to his age before producing Chuck’s Trip to Elderslie,” he said.
The story follows young Chuck as he helps with farm chores including feeding poddy lambs, drenching sheep and collecting eggs.
Despite having no formal writing background beyond decades of filling diaries with poetry, Troy believes everyone has a story worth telling.
“I am so grateful that Kylie encouraged me to give writing a go,” he said.
“Everybody has a story, and if you don’t write it down, it gets lost with you.”
“You might not think your work is worth publishing, but if you don’t try, you will never know.”
These days, balancing farming, writing and full-time work at a solar farm is a team effort.
“I have a beautiful wife that does all the technical stuff with the farm and the books,” Troy said.
“I just play on the farm and go to work at the solar farm. When I get a book idea, I sit down and write it and Kylie turns it into a book. Easy!”
The couple regularly attend local markets, where they enjoy meeting readers face-to-face.
“Selling at the markets has been a blast,” Troy said.
“We have now sent books all over the world, but talking to locals at the markets is where we shine.”
“Explaining to a four-year-old why Stanley the slug needs a shell just like Douglas the snail is priceless.”
For Troy, keeping his stories connected to the New England community remains at the heart of everything he writes.
“It is important to me that our books stay connected to the local community because this is where we live and local is what we know,” he said.
“The knowledge I have gained about farming, riding, hunting and even working has all been gained locally.”
“New England is where I was educated, both in and out of school, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
The Elderslie books can be purchased online or you can visit Troy and Kylie at the Uralla High Country Markets on the 1st Sunday of the month 8am to 12.30pm or the Armidale Markets NSW Australia on the last Sunday of the month 8am to 1pm.
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