About Robyn

Dr. Robyn Floyd is an accomplished author and educator with a lifelong passion for storytelling. She is a lecturer at the Faculty of Education of a Melbourne university, and was previously an Assistant Principal in a Victorian primary school.  

 

With experience spanning early childhood, primary, secondary, and tertiary teaching, Robyn has also authored numerous educational resources and participated in a variety of teaching and learning forums and conferences.

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Her PhD dissertation focused on early Australian children's literature, with a particular emphasis on early fairy tales and the works of child author Olga Ernst. This research explored the intersection of fairy tales and the Australian bush, shedding light on how these stories shaped and reflected cultural identity. ​ Robyn was awarded the Australian Fairy Tale Society’s National Fairy Tale Award in 2019 for her contribution to research.
 

Robyn’s passion for history extends beyond academia. She has spent countless weekends in regional Victoria delving into archives, piecing together her family’s history. This exploration inspired her book, Great-Great-Great Aunt Matilda: Wookey Hole, Somerset to Hawthorn, Victoria, an account of the extraordinary stories that can be found in everyday lives.

 

The House That Peter Built is Robyn's current project, a historical narrative tracing the life of German immigrant brickmaker Peter Heil with a focus on the enduring spirit of place – how a house is more than timber and bricks, how it becomes memory, belonging and legacy.