1954 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1954.

Events

• Charlotte Jay (pseudonym of Geraldine Halls) won the inaugural Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel for Beat Not the Bones ^[1]

Books

• James Aldridge – Heroes of the Empty View ^[2]
• Jon Cleary – The Climate of Courage
• Miles Franklin – Cockatoos : A Story of Youth and Exodists
• Catherine Gaskin – Sara Dane
• T. A. G. Hungerford – Sowers of the Wind : A Novel of the Occupation of Japan ^[3]
• Eric Lambert
  • The Five Bright Stars ^[4]
  • The Veterans ^[5]
• Eve Langley – White Topee
• J. E. Macdonnell
  • Jim Brady, Leading Seaman
  • Wings Off the Sea
• Kenneth Mackenzie – The Refuge
• Alan Moorehead – A Summer Night ^[6]
• E. V. Timms – The Fury
• Judah Waten – The Unbending ^[7]

Crime and mystery

• Arthur Upfield
  • Death of a Lake ^[8]
  • Sinister Stones ^[9]

Short stories

• A. Bertram Chandler – "Shadow Before" ^[10]
• David Martin – "Where a Man Belongs" ^[11]
• John Morrison – "The Incense-Burner" ^[12]
• Dal Stivens – "In the Depths" ^[13]
• Judah Waten – "Well, What do You Say to My Boy?" ^[14]

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Nan Chauncy – A Fortune for the Brave ^[15]
• Joan Phipson – Six and Silver ^[16]
• Norman B. Tindale & Harold Arthur Lindsay – The First Walkabout , illustrated by Madeleine Boyce

Poetry

Main article: 1954 in poetry

• Thea Astley – "Droving Man" ^[17]
• Dorothy Auchterlonie – "The Tree" ^[18]
• John Blight
  • "The Anchor" ^[19]
  • "Death of a Whale" ^[20]
  • "Nor'-Easter" ^[21]
  • "Rope" ^[22]
  • The Two Suns Met : Poems ^[23]
• R. D. Fitzgerald
  • "Beginnings" ^[24]
  • "Edge" ^[25]
• Mary Gilmore – Fourteen Men : Verses
• A. D. Hope – "The Return of Persephone" ^[26]
• Christopher Koch – "The Boy Who Dreamed the Country Night" ^[27]
• James McAuley
  • "An Art of Poetry" ^[28]
  • "New Guinea" ^[29]
  • "To the Holy Spirit" ^[30]
• Kenneth Mackenzie – "An Old Inmate" ^[31]
• David Rowbotham – "Mullabinda" ^[32]
• Douglas Stewart – "Spider-Gums" ^[33]
• Colin Thiele – "The Mushroomer" ^[34]
• John Thompson – Thirty Poems ^[35]
• Judith Wright
  • "At Cooloolah"
  • "Flying Fox on Barbed Wire" ^[36]

Drama

Theatre

• James Workman – Eternal Night

Biography

• Nevil Shute – Slide Rule : The Autobiography of an Engineer ^[37]
• David Unaipon – My Life Story ^[38]

Non-Fiction

• Vance Palmer – The Legend of the Nineties ^[39]

Awards and honours

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal [40]	Mary Gilmore	Fourteen Men : Verses	Angus and Robertson

Children's and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award [41]	Older Readers	K. Langloh Parker, edited by Henrietta Drake-Brockman, illustrated by Elizabeth Durack	Australian Legendary Tales	Angus and Robertson

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry [42]	John Thompson	Thirty Poems	Edwards and Shaw

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1954 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 12 January
  • Brian Caswell, writer for children ^[43]
  • Lee Tulloch, novelist ^[44]
• 26 March – Dorothy Porter, poet (died 2008) ^[45]
• 21 May – Paul Collins, author and editor ^[46]
• 17 June – Kerry Greenwood, novelist ^[47]
• 5 July – Kevin Hart, poet ^[48]
• 20 September – James Moloney, writer for children ^[49]
• 1 November – Andrew Lansdown, poet ^[50]

Unknown date

• Russell Blackford, novelist and critic ^[51]
• Rory Harris, poet ^[52]
• Shane McCauley, poet ^[53]
• Rosemary Sorensen, journalist, editor and critic ^[54]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1954 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 16 May — Jack McLaren, novelist (born 1884) ^[55]
• 28 June — Nancy Francis, poet, journalist and short story writer (born 1873) ^[56]
• 19 September – Miles Franklin, novelist (born 1879) ^[57]
• 2 November – Malcolm Afford, playwright and novelist (born 1906) ^[58]

See also

• 1954 in Australia
• 1954 in literature
• 1954 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

References

1. "Edgar Award Winners and Nominees Database". Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
2. "Heroes of the Empty View by James Aldridge". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
3. "Sowers of the Wind by T. A. G. Hungerford". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
4. "The Five Bright Stars by Eric Lambert". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
5. "The Veterans by Eric Lambert". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
6. "A Summer Night by Alan Moorehead". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
7. "The Unbending by Judah Waten". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
8. "Death of a Lake by Arthur Upfield". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
9. "Sinister Stones by Arthur Upfield". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
10. ""Shadow Before" by A. Bertram Chandler". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
11. ""Where a Man Belongs" by David Martin". Austlit. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
12. ""The Incense-Burner" by John Morrison". Austlit. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
13. ""In the Depths" by Dal Stivens". Austlit. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
14. ""Well, What do You Say to My Boy?" by Judah Waten". Austlit. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
15. "A Fortune for the Brave by Nan Chauncy". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
16. "Six and Silver by Joan Phipson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
17. "Austlit — "Droving Man" by Thea Astley". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
18. "Austlit — "The Tree" by Dorothy Auchterlonie". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
19. "Austlit — "The Anchor" by John Blight". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
20. "Austlit — "Death of a Whale" by John Blight". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
21. "Austlit — "Nor'-Easter" by John Blight". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
22. "Austlit — "Rope" by John Blight". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
23. "The Two Suns Met by John Blight". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
24. "Austlit — "Beginnings" by R. D. Fitzgerald". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
25. "Austlit — "Edge" by R. D. Fitzgerald". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
26. "Austlit — "The Return of Persephone" by A. D. Hope". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
27. "Austlit — "The Boy Who Dreamed the Country Night" by Christopher Koch". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
28. "Austlit — "An Art of Poetry" by James McAuley". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
29. "Austlit — "New Guinea" by James McAuley". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
30. "Austlit — "To the Holy Spirit" by James McAuley". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
31. "Austlit — "An Old Inmate" by Seaforth Mackenzie". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
32. "Austlit — "Mullabinda" by David Rowbotham". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
33. "Austlit — "Spider-Gums" by Douglas Stewart". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
34. "Austlit — "The Mushroomer" by Colin Thiele". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
35. "Thirty Poems by John Thompson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
36. "Austlit — "Flying Fox on Barbed Wire" by Judith Wright". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
37. "Slide Rule : The Autobiography of an Engineer by Nevil Shute". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
38. "My Life Story by David Unaipon". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
39. "The Legend of the Nineties by Vance Palmer". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
40. Austlit - Fourteen Men : Verses by Mary Gilmore
41. Austlit - Australian Legendary Tales by K. Langloh Parker
42. "Austlit — Thirty Poems by John Thompson". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
43. "Austlit — Brian Caswell". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
44. "Austlit — Lee Tulloch". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
45. "Dorothy Porter (1954-2008)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
46. "Austlit — Paul Collins". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
47. "Austlit — Kerry Greenwood". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
48. "Austlit — Kevin Hart". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
49. "Austlit — James Moloney". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
50. "Andrew Lansdown". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
51. "Austlit — Russell Blackford". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
52. "Austlit — Rory Harris". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
53. "Austlit — Shane McCauley". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
54. "Austlit — Rosemary Sorensen". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
55. "McLaren, John (Jack) (1884–1954) by Cheryl Taylor". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
56. "Austlit - Nancy Francis (1873-1954)". Austlit. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
57. "Franklin, Stella Maria Sarah Miles (1879–1954) by Jill Roe". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
58. "Lindsay, Philip (1906–1958) by Bernard Smith". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 10 July 2023.