It is with deep sadness we hear that Mr Graham Davey the YABBA President for more than 20 years passed away on Thursday 11 April 2013 after an exhausting battle with illness. We express our most heartfelt sympathy to Graham’s family during these difficult times.
Graham worked tirelessly at promoting the Young Australians Best Book Awards with a passion and pride that will be impossible to replace. Graham accepted and delivered on an exceptional workload in ensuring that Victorian children’s voices were heard via the Annual YABBA Awards. Throughout more than 20 years as the volunteer President of YABBA, Graham was crucial to our organisation’s ongoing existence, development and its continued success.
Graham Davey will forever be regarded as a giant in the children’s book industry as a Storyteller, CBCA President and YABBA President. Most importantly Graham will be sadly missed by all those who came to know his wit, intellect and humour.
YABBA Committee
So very sad to hear about Graham – such a warm, lovely soul, deeply impassioned by the children’s literature scene. He will be so very missed.
Having being elected YABBA President to succeed Graham at times this seems like the most overwhelming task I’ve ever contemplated. A few months into this term as the new YABBA President I truly now understand the workload that I talked about in the above announcement.
Graham – I truly didn’t understand the workload. I thought I did when I penned this statement, but now it really makes sense. I thank you for the work you did and the energy you bought.
David Linke
I am devastated to learn of the passing of Mr Davey. Graham was a story teller at one of our children’s events and he was amazing. His enthusiasm and the way he interacted with the children was so refreshing to see. He was a lovely man to talk to and had a great sense of humour. He was one of a kind…