Print this page This is Who We Are - Australian Novels 1900-1939

The novels that were written in the early 20th century matched the vigour and freshness of earlier fiction with greater skill resulting in many books that have held their place as memorable Australian fiction. The genres, subjects, and styles expanded, and so did the audiences, resulting in literature that contributed significantly to the creation of a national identity. Pacific adventures, historical fiction, rural comedies, children’s classics, as well as more coming-of-age tales, mysteries, sports thrillers, and outback dramas, were all eagerly read. They provided a view of Australians that Australians were keen to see.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face / Online

COURSE OUTLINE

Context, creation, plot, themes, and legacy of:

• 1900 – 1909: Banjo Paterson (1900), Louis Becke (1900), Miles Franklin (1901), Louise Mack (1902), Joseph Furphy (1903), Jeannie Gunn (1905), Barbara Baynton (1907), Arthur Wright (1907). Henry Handel Richardson (1908), The Poison of Polygamy (1909)
• 1910-1919: Mary Grant Bruce (1910), Louis Stone (1911), May Gibbs (1918), Norman Lindsay (1918), Harrison Owen (1919)
• 1920- 1929: E V Timms (1927), Ion Idriess (1927), Katherine Susannah Pritchard (1928), Martin Boyd (1928), Arthur Upfield (1929), M Barnard Eldershaw (1929)
• 1930- 1939: Vance Palmer (1930), Frank Dalby Davison (1931), F J Thwaites (1932), Eleanor Dark (1934), Christina Stead (1934), J M Harcourt (1934), Dympna Cusack (1936), Joan Lindsay (1936), Errol Flynn (1937), Seaforth Mackenzie (1937), Xavier Herbert (1938), Patrick White (1939)

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Outline the lives of these writers
2. Discuss the themes and characteristics of their most important works
3. Discuss the context and significance of those books in the evolution of Australian literature