 He was already a successful contributor of short stories to overseas magazines in 1931 when he wrote his first novel, "Tybal Men", set in a WA sheep station.He is regarded as giving a realistic depiction of bush life and aboriginal culture, though criticised for emulating the "violent excesses of the American cowboy novel".His brother Don (Donald Manners Thirkell) Norman (24 April 1909 - 10 March 2001) was a writer (e.g.