John Gunn (Australian writer)

John Gunn (born 26 February 1925) is an Australian writer, sailor and aviator.

Education
Gunn entered the Royal Australian Naval College as a cadet-midshipman in 1939 at the age of 14. In 1946 he began training as a Fleet Air Arm pilot, serving in England and the Mediterranean. He returned to Australia in 1949 and attended Sydney University, aborting the study of medicine to start a family.

Career
Gunn and his young family moved to England, where he began his writing career. In 1957 they returned to Australia. He attained various positions including:
 * Literary guide and friend to the Australian Broadcasting Commission's children's programme.
 * Aviation correspondent for the Australian Financial Review

Novels

 * The Wild Abyss (1972)
 * Water Hazard (1995)

Novels for children

 * Barrier Reef Espionage (1955)
 * Battle in the Ice (1956)
 * Gibraltar Sabotage (1957)
 * Sea Menace (1958)
 * Submarine Island (1958)
 * The Humpy in the Hills (1960)
 * Peter Kent's Command (1960)
 * Dangreous Enemies (1961)
 * City in Danger (1962)
 * Conquest of Space (1962)
 * The Goodbye Island (1963)

Edited

 * Dangerous Secret (1960)
 * The Gold Smugglers (1962)
 * The Gravity Stealers (1965)

Drama

 * Wren's Nest (1955)
 * Hildegard : A Play (1999)

Non-fiction

 * Barrier Reef by Trimarine (1966)
 * Seaspay : The Spoils of War (1967)

Awards

 * 1959 – joint winner Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers for Sea Menace