1949 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1949.

Books

• James Aldridge – The Diplomat
• Martin Boyd – Such Pleasure
• Jon Cleary – The Long Shadow
• Charmian Clift & George Johnston – High Valley ^[1]
• Jean Devanny – Cindie : A Chronicle of the Canefields ^[2]
• Philip Lindsay
  • All That Glitters ^[3]
  • The Loves of My Lord Admiral ^[4]
• Alan Marshall – How Beautiful Are Thy Feet ^[5]
• Ruth Park – Poor Man's Orange
• E. V. Timms – The Pathway of the Sun
• June Wright – So Bad a Death ^[6]

Short stories

• Vance Palmer – "Mathieson's Wife" ^[7]
• Dal Stivens – "The Pepper Tree" ^[8]
• Judah Waten – "Neighbours" ^[9]

Poetry

Main article: 1949 in poetry

• John Blight – "Into the Ark" ^[10]
• David Campbell – Speak With the Sun ^[11]
• Rosemary Dobson
  • "Ampersand" ^[12]
  • "The Missal" ^[13]
• Geoffrey Dutton – "Wool-Shed Dance" ^[14]
• Nan McDonald – "Wet Summer : Botanic Gardens" ^[15]
• Kenneth Mackenzie – "Table-Birds" ^[16]
• Elizabeth Riddell
  • "News of a Baby" ^[17]
  • "Wakeful in the Township" ^[18]
• Roland Robinson – Language of the Sand : Poems ^[19]
• David Rowbotham – "Nine O'Clock : By the Bunya Mountains" ^[20]
• Douglas Stewart
  • "Nodding Greenhood" ^[21]
  • "Terra Australis" ^[22]
• Judith Wright
  • "The Old Prison" ^[23]
  • Woman to Man

Drama

• Max Afford – Dark Enchantment ^[24]

Awards and honours

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal [25] [26]	Percival Serle	Dictionary of Australian Biography	Angus and Robertson

Children's and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award [27]	Older Readers	No competition

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry [28]	Judith Wright	Woman to Man	Angus and Robertson

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1949 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 8 February – Nigel Krauth, novelist and academic ^[29]
• 22 March – Alan Gould, novelist ^[30]
• 7 April – Jennifer Maiden, poet ^[31]
• 30 April – Nadia Wheatley, biographer and writer for children ^[32]
• 15 August – Garry Disher, novelist ^[33]
• 6 November – Barry Dickins, author and playwright ^[34]

Unknown date

• Ken Bolton, poet ^[35]
• Judith Brett, historian and academic ^[36]
• Steven Carroll, novelist ^[37]
• Jennifer Compton, poet and playwright (in New Zealand) ^[38]
• Laurie Duggan, poet ^[39]
• John Jenkins, poet ^[40]
• Don Watson, author ^[41]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1949 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 3 April — Ada Augusta Holman, journalist and novelist (born 1869) ^[42]
• 15 August – Roderic Quinn, poet (born 1867) ^[43]
• 16 September – Marion Knowles, novelist, poet and journalist (born 1865) ^[44]
• 11 October – Sydney Ure Smith, publisher (born 1887) ^[45]

See also

• 1949 in Australia
• 1949 in literature
• 1949 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

References

1. "High Valley by Charmian Clift & George Johnston". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
2. "Cindie : A Chronicle of the Canefields by Jean Devanny". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
3. "All That Glitters by Philip Lindsay". Austlit. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
4. "The Loves of My Lord Admiral by Philip Lindsay". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
5. "How Beautiful Are Thy Feet by Alan Marshall". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
6. "So Bad a Death by June Wright". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
7. ""Mathieson's Wife" by Vance Palmer". Austlit. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
8. ""The Pepper Tree" by Dal Stivens". Austlit. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
9. ""Neighbours" by Judah Waten". Austlit. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
10. ""Into the Ark" by John Blight". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
11. "Speak With the Sun by David Campbell". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
12. ""Ampersand" by Rosemary Dobson". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
13. ""The Missal" by Rosemary Dobson". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
14. ""Wool-Shed Dance" by Geoffrey Dutton". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
15. ""Wet Summer : Botanic Gardens" by Nan McDonald". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
16. ""Table-Birds" by Kenneth Mackenzie". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
17. ""News of a Baby" by Elizabeth Riddell". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
18. ""Wakeful in the Township" by Elizabeth Riddell". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
19. "Language of the Sand : Poems by Roland Robinson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
20. ""Nine O'Clock : By the Bunya Mountains" by David Rowbotham". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
21. ""Nodding Greenhood" by Douglas Stewart". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
22. ""Terra Australis" by Douglas Stewart". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
23. ""The Old Prison" by Judith Wright". Austlit. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
24. "Dark Enchantment by Max Afford". Austlit. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
25. ""News of the Day"". The Age, 3 November 1949, p2. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
26. ""Biographical Work" by Nettie Palmer". The Age, 7 November 1949, p2. Retrieved 13 August 2023. The announcement of the award in "The Age" inadvertently stated that it was for a biography of Australian literature. What he has done, however, and single handed, is a formidable dictionary of Australian biography.
27. ""CBCA Book of the Year Awards 1946 onwards"" (PDF). The Children's Book Council of Australia. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
28. Austlit - Woman to Man by Judith Wright
29. "Austlit — Nigel Krauth". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
30. "Austlit — Alan Gould". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
31. "Austlit — Jennifer Maiden". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
32. "Austlit — Nadia Wheatley". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
33. "Austlit — Garry Disher". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
34. "Austlit — Barry Dickins". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
35. "Austlit — Ken Bolton". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
36. "Austlit — Judith Brett". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
37. "Austlit — Steven Carroll". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
38. "Austlit — Jennifer Compton". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
39. "Austlit — Laurie Duggan". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
40. "Austlit — John Jenkins". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
41. "Austlit — Don Watson". Austlit. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
42. "Holman, Ada Augusta (1869–1949) by Heather Radi". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
43. "Quinn, Roderic Joseph (1867–1949) by Axel Clark". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
44. "Knowles, Marion (1865–1949) by Cecily Close". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
45. "Smith, Sydney George Ure (1887–1949) by Nancy D. H. Underhill". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 21 August 2023.