In his autobiographical essay, he recalled the move as one of the important events in his life that influenced him to become a writer. The family's voyage to Australia included an angry confrontation between Arabian boat merchants and the ship's crew at Port Said, Saudi Arabia, that both frightened and inspired the young boy. Once in Australia, more adventure awaited Baillie as he and his family relocated time and again, due to his stepfather's (his father died in combat during World War II) occupation as a traveling salesman. By the time he was thirteen, the family had moved five times.
Even as a child Baillie was interest in writing. He wrote a poem published in the Melbourne Sun's Children's Supplement and a puppet play based on Treasure Island for a school project. In his early teens, he wrote his first book, a science-fiction tale titled "The Silver Streak." Two more futuristic titles followed: "The Planet of Horror" and "Destination Universe." He also entered a short-story contest sponsored by Bond Athletics to promote their comic strip hero, Chesty Bond.
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