"The Drover's Wife" | |
---|---|
by Henry Lawson | |
Country | Australia |
Language | English |
Genre(s) | Drama |
Published in | The Bulletin |
Media type | print (magazine) |
Publication date | 23 July 1892 |
"The Drover's Wife" is a dramatic short story by the Australian writer Henry Lawson. It recounts the story of a woman left alone with her four children in an isolated hut in the outback in the late 19th century. [1]
The story was first published in the 23 July 1892 edition of The Bulletin magazine, and was subsequently reprinted in a number of the author's collections as well as other anthologies.
A woman in the outback is isolated in a small hut with her four children. Her husband has been away droving for six months and near sunset one day a snake disappears under the house. The children are put to bed and the woman waits with her dog, Alligator, for the snake to re-appear. Near dawn the snake emerges and it is killed by the woman and dog. The story shows the struggle of a lone woman against nature.
"The Drover's Wife" first appeared in The Bulletin magazine on 23 July 1892. It was subsequently published in Short Stories in Prose and Verse, Lawson's 1894 collection of short stories and poetry. Since its initial publication it has become one of Henry Lawson's most re-published works.
In 1968, the Australian Broadcasting Commission created a 45-minute adaptation of the story, directed by Giancarlo Manara and featuring Clarissa Kaye in the lead role. [3] [4]
In 2016 the story was adapted into a play by Leah Purcell. It premiered at the Belvoir Theatre in September 2016, and was directed by Leticia Cáceres. [5] [6] [7]
Purcell's film version, entitled The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson , premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on 18 March 2021 [8] and was released in Australia and the UK in May 2022. [9] [10]
Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, was an Australian bush poet, journalist and author. He wrote many ballads and poems about Australian life, focusing particularly on the rural and outback areas, including the district around Binalong, New South Wales, where he spent much of his childhood. Paterson's more notable poems include "Clancy of the Overflow" (1889), "The Man from Snowy River" (1890) and "Waltzing Matilda" (1895), regarded widely as Australia's unofficial national anthem.
Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period and is often called Australia's "greatest short story writer".
Australian literature is the written or literary work produced in the area or by the people of the Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding colonies. During its early Western history, Australia was a collection of British colonies; as such, its recognised literary tradition begins with and is linked to the broader tradition of English literature. However, the narrative art of Australian writers has, since 1788, introduced the character of a new continent into literature—exploring such themes as Aboriginality, mateship, egalitarianism, democracy, national identity, migration, Australia's unique location and geography, the complexities of urban living, and "the beauty and the terror" of life in the Australian bush.
Edward George Dyson was an Australian journalist, poet, playwright and short story writer. He was the elder brother of illustrators Will Dyson (1880–1938) and Ambrose Dyson (1876–1913), with three sisters also of artistic and literary praise.
Leah Maree Purcell is an Aboriginal Australian stage and film actress, playwright, film director, and novelist. She made her film debut in 1999, appearing in Paul Fenech's Somewhere in the Darkness, which led to roles in films, such as, Lantana (2001), Somersault (2004), The Proposition (2005) and Jindabyne (2006).
"A Child in the Dark, and a Foreign Father" is a short story by Australian writer and poet, Henry Lawson. The story, often considered to be partially autobiographical, considers the rather bleak relationship between a man and his family.
The Drover's Wife is a 1945 painting by Australian artist Russell Drysdale. The painting depicts a flat, barren landscape with a woman in a plain dress in the foreground. The drover with his horses and wagon are in the background. The painting has been described as "an allegory of the white Australian people's relationship with this ancient land." Henry Lawson's 1892 short story "The Drover's Wife" is widely seen as an inspiration for the painting, although Drysdale denies that.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1899.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1892.
"Bell-Birds" is a poem by Australian writer Henry Kendall that was first published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 25 November 1867.
In Answer to Various Bards is a poem by Australian writer and poet Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson. It was first published in The Bulletin magazine on 1 October 1892 in reply to fellow poet Henry Lawson's poem, In Answer to "Banjo", and Otherwise.
"The Chosen Vessel" is a dramatic short story by the Australian writer Barbara Baynton, first published in The Bulletin on 12 December 1896. It recounts the story of an outback woman left alone with her baby in a bush hut as she awaits attack by a swagman who has called there during the day.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1889.
"The Last of His Tribe" is a poem by Australian writer Henry Kendall that was first published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 27 September 1864, under the title "Woonoona: The Last of His Tribe".
Andy's Gone With Cattle is a poem by Australian writer and poet Henry Lawson. It was first published in The Australian Town & Country Journal on 13 October 1888.
The Wind at Your Door (1959) is a one-poem volume by Australian poet R. D. Fitzgerald. The poem was originally published in The Bulletin on 17 December 1958, and later in this 275 copy Talkarra Press limited edition, signed by the author. It won the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry in 1959.
While the Billy Boils is a collection of short stories by the Australian writer Henry Lawson, published by Angus and Robertson in 1896. It includes "The Drover's Wife", "On the Edge of a Plain", and "The Union Buries Its Dead".
The Drover’s Wife is a play by Leah Purcell, loosely based on the classic short story of the same name by Henry Lawson published in 1892.
The Drover's Wife may refer to:
The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson is a 2021 Australian revisionist Western / Australian Western drama film written and directed by Leah Purcell, who also stars in the eponymous role. It also stars Rob Collins, Sam Reid and Jessica De Gouw. The film premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival on 18 March 2021 and opened across Australia on 5 May 2022.