Carmel Niland began her career as teacher in Sydney, Australia and in Ithaca, NY. After working for nearly forty years for the NSW Government as a CEO and leading agencies on gender and racial equality, human rights and child protection, Carmel took gardening leave and began writing. She is married to John and they have two children, and while they live in Sydney, they garden at Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains. Carmel is President of the Iris Society of Australia.