Now a teacher now based in Ballarat, Ms Toering recently achieved a lifelong goal of releasing a book.

The children’s picture book Mallee Sky was written by Ms Toering and illustrated by Sydeny-based artist Tannya Harrick.

Ms Toering was raised on a wheat farm at Galaquil near Beulah and said she still considered the Mallee home.

“I moved away for university but the Mallee has always been a huge part of my life,” she said.

She said the book was partly biographical.

“It started off as a memoir for me. The book follows a family in the Mallee, and explore the affects drought has on them, their community and the land. My family lived through droughts and through rain, and I wanted to tell that story,” she said.

“I remember as a child being at school when the drought of 1982 was broken. All the students and teachers ran outside and danced in the rain, and there’s a scene it the book just like that.

“The weather is so hash in the region and farmers struggle to make a living off the land. All the smaller towns seem to be shutting up shop, but those who are left are battling to keep them afloat. I see the main character of the book at the land itself.”

Mallee Sky was launched last week by Black Dog Books – an imprint of the major children’s publisher Walker. 

Ms Toering said it had taken several years for the book to become a reality.

“I’ve always wanted to be a writer as well as a teacher, but I didn’t have any training as a writer and I had no confidence in my writing,” she said.

“I entered a few writing competitions in order to get feedback and to see how I could improve. Mallee Sky was one of the pieces I submitted and it got really good feedback which boosted my confidence.

“I wrote the book in 2012 and was knocked back twice before it was picked up in 2016. It has been a huge process. I would love to get a few more books off the ground and I have lot of ideas that are in the draft stages.”

Ms Toering will be at Horsham’s Redrock Books and Gallery on February 23 from 11am to 1pm. She will answer questions about the book and the publishing process.

An art exhibition of Tannya Harrick’s Mallee Sky artworks will also be on display at the venue for several weeks.

“Tannya’s illustration have captured the Mallee so beautifully and it took her a long time to created every piece,” Ms Toering said.

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