Australian live animation pioneer Yoram Gross, who divided his time between his Woollahra studio and his Wentworth Falls retreat, died late last month, aged 88.
Mr Gross was best known for creating the classic film and television series hits Blinky Bill, Dot and the Kangaroo and Skippy after moving to Australia in 1968 with his wife Sandra and establishing Yoram Gross Films together.
He remained a prolific worker into his 80s, writing his autobiography My Animated Life in 2011 and helping to produce Disney's Art Alive series the year after where pictures children draw come to life and talk back through animation.
He also continued to produce poignant, non-commercial documentaries about wartime Europe and the Holocaust, including one about life in the Krakow ghetto that was screened at the 2011 Krakow Film Festival.
In an interview with the Gazette in Wentworth Falls in April 2011, Mr Gross said he shared several similarities with Dorothy Wall's character Blinky Bill, who had also lost his home, his father and was in search of his mother.
"I was for a part of my early life in a Krakow ghetto but I didn't suffer as much as the adults because I was too young to realise the tragedy of it all," Mr Gross said.
"But you know, even in such a horrible situation, a new joke was born every day in the ghetto because it was the only way to cope."
Mr Gross also shared his life-long passion and love of animation.
"I love making films that kids can understand and it makes me so happy when I see them enjoying my films and singing along to the songs."
The Yoram Gross Animation Award, sponsored by the Gross family, continues to provide a $5000 cash prize to the best Australian animated short film each year.
