1971 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1971.

Major publications

Books

• Jon Cleary – Mask of the Andes
• Kenneth Cook – Piper in the Market-Place
• Dymphna Cusack – A Bough in Hell
• Frank Hardy – The Outcasts of Foolgarah
• Donald Horne – But What If There Are No Pelicans?
• David Ireland – The Unknown Industrial Prisoner
• George Johnston – A Cartload of Clay
• Thomas Keneally – A Dutiful Daughter
• Hal Porter – The Right Thing
• Judah Waten – So Far No Further
• Morris West – Summer of the Red Wolf

Short stories

• Elizabeth Jolley – "Bill Sprockett's Land"
• Hal Porter
  • "Brett"
  • Selected Stories

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Hesba Brinsmead – Longtime Passing
• David Martin – Hughie
• Christobel Mattingley – Windmill at Magpie Creek
• Elyne Mitchell – Light Horse to Damascus
• Ivan Southall – Josh
• P. L. Travers – Friend Monkey

Science fiction and fantasy

• John Baxter – The Second Pacific Book of Science Fiction
• A. Bertram Chandler
  • Alternate Orbits
  • To Prime the Pump
• Lindsay Gutteridge – Cold War in a Country Garden
• Lee Harding – "Fallen Spaceman"
• Jack Wodhams – The Authentic Touch

Poetry

Main article: 1971 in poetry

• Robert Adamson – The Rumour ^[1]
• Bruce Dawe – Condolences of the Season : Selected Poems ^[2]
• Gwen Harwood – "Oyster Cove" ^[3]
• A. D. Hope – "Inscription for a War" ^[4]
• James McAuley – Collected Poems 1936-1970 ^[5]
• Dorothea Mackellar – The Poems of Dorothea Mackellar ^[6]
• Geoff Page – "Smalltown Memorials" ^[7]
• David Rowbotham – The Pen of Feathers : Poems ^[8]
• T. G. H. Strehlow – Songs of Central Australia (edited) ^[9]
• Chris Wallace-Crabbe
  • "Other People" ^[10]
  • Where the Wind Came : poems ^[11]
• Judith Wright – Collected Poems, 1942-1970 ^[12]

Drama

• Alex Buzo – Macquarie : A Play
• Dorothy Hewett - The Chapel Perilous
• Ray Lawler – The Man Who Shot the Albatross
• David Williamson
  • Don's Party
  • The Removalists

Awards and honours

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal [13]	Colin Badger
Colin Roderick Award [14]	Geoffrey Serle	The Rush to be Rich	Melbourne University Press
Miles Franklin Award [15]	David Ireland	The Unknown Industrial Prisoner	Angus and Robertson

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers [16]	Ivan Southall	Bread and Honey	Angus and Robertson
Picture Book [16]	A. B. Paterson, illustrated by Desmond Digby	Waltzing Matilda	Collins

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry	Judith Wright [17]	Collected Poems, 1942-1970	Angus and Robertson
	James McAuley [18]	Collected Poems 1936-1970	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 1971 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 18 November – Leigh Redhead, novelist ^[19]

Unknown date

• Libby Hart, poet ^[20]
• James Ley, literary critic and founder of the Sydney Review of Books ^[21]
• John Mateer, poet and author (in South Africa) ^[22]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1971 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 19 January – Joe Walker, novelist and newspaper editor (born 1910) ^[23]
• 3 February – Richard Harry Graves, poet and novelist (born 1897) ^[24]
• 11 March – Frank Clune, novelist and travel writer (born 1893) ^[25]
• 10 June – Maysie Coucher Greig, writer of romantic novels and thrillers (born 1901) ^[26]
• 30 June – Kenneth Slessor, poet (born 1901) ^[27]
• 11 September – Hilda Bridges, novelist and short story writer (born 1881) ^[28]
• 7 November – Minnie Agnes Filson, poet (born 1898) ^[29]

Unknown date

• G. C. Bleeck – novelist (born 1907) ^[30]

See also

• 1971 in Australia
• 1971 in literature
• 1971 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

References

1. "The Rumour by Robert Adamson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
2. "Condolences of the Season : Selected Poems by Bruce Dawe". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
3. ""Oyster Cove" by Gwen Harwood". Austlit. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
4. ""Inscription for a War" by A. D. Hope". Austlit. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
5. "Collected Poems 1936-1970 by James McAuley". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
6. "The Poems of Dorothea Mackellar by Dorothea Mackellar". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
7. ""Smalltown Memorials" by Geoff Page". Austlit. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
8. "The Pen of Feathers : Poems by David Rowbotham". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
9. "Songs of Central Australia edited by T. G. H. Strehlow". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
10. ""Other People" by Chris Wallace-Crabbe". Austlit. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
11. "Where the Wind Came : poems by Chris Wallace-Crabbe". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
12. "Collected Poems, 1942-1970 by Judith Wright". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
13. "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
14. "Colin Roderick Award - Previous Winners", James Cook University
15. "Award", The Canberra Times, 29 March 1972, p3
16. "1971 Awards", The Canberra Times, 10 July 1971, p15
17. Austlit - Collected Poems, 1942-1970 by Judith Wright
18. Austlit - Collected Poems 1936-1970 by James McAuley
19. "Leigh Redhead". Austlit. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
20. "Libby Hart". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
21. "James Ley". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
22. "John Mateer". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
23. "Joe Walker (1910-1971)". Austlit. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
24. "Richard Harry Graves (1897-1971)". Austlit. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
25. "Clune, Francis Patrick (Frank) (1893–1971) by Julian Croft". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
26. "Greig, Maysie Coucher (1901–1971) by Martha Rutledge". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
27. "Slessor, Kenneth Adolf (1901–1971) by Dennis Haskell". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
28. "Bridges, Hilda Maggie (1881–1971) by J. C. Horner". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
29. "Minnie Agnes May Filson (1898-1971)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
30. "G. C. Bleeck (1907-1971)". Austlit. Retrieved 9 November 2023.