1977 in Australian literature

none April 2019 April 2019 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1977. Events Ruth Park won the 1977 Miles Franklin Award for Swords and Crowns and Rings Major publications Books Jon Cleary – High Road to China Sumner Locke Elliott – Water Under the Bridge Water Under the Bridge by Sumner Locke Elliott National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/724586 30 September 2025 Helen Garner – Monkey Grip Thomas Keneally – A Victim of the Aurora Colleen McCullough – The Thorn Birds Ruth Park – Swords and Crowns and Rings Amy Witting – The Visit The Visit by Amy Witting National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2221459 12 March 2026 Short stories Frank Moorhouse – Tales of Mystery and Romance Tales of Mystery and Romance by Frank Moorhouse National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2028926 12 December 2024 Science fiction and fantasy A. Bertram Chandler The Far Traveller The Far Traveller by A. Bertram Chandler ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?919935 19 March 2024 Star Courier Star Courier by A. Bertram Chandler ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?729 19 March 2024 Lee Harding – The Weeping Sky The Weeping Sky by Lee Harding ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?8306 19 March 2024 David Lake The Right Hand of Dextra The Right Hand of Dextra by David Lake ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?7651 19 March 2024 The Wildings of Westron The Wildings of Westron by David Lake ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?8307 19 March 2024 Cherry Wilder – The Luck of Brin's Five The Luck of Brin's Five by Cherry Wilder ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?8305 19 March 2024 Children's and young adult fiction Joan Phipson Hide Till Daytime Hide Till Daytime by Joan Phipson National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/5350393 12 March 2026 Fly into Danger Fly into Danger by Joan Phipson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C390965 12 December 2024 Eleanor Spence – A Candle for Saint Antony A Candle for Saint Antony by Eleanor Spence National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1576018 12 December 2024 Patricia Wrightson – The Ice is Coming Poetry Robert Adamson Cross The Border Cross The Border by Robert Adamson National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2509421 12 December 2024 Selected Poems Graeme Curtis – At Last No Reply At Last No Reply by Graeme Curtis National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1282615 23 May 2025 Nancy Keesing – Hails and Farewells Hails and Farewells by Nancy Keesing National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2448623 12 December 2024 Jennifer Maiden – Mortal Details Mortal Details by Jennifer Maiden National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/5154182 12 December 2024 Les Murray – Ethnic Radio Ethnic Radio by Les Murray National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2222994 12 December 2024 John Tranter – Crying in Early Infancy: 100 Sonnets Crying in Early Infancy: 100 Sonnets by John Tranter National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1282625 12 December 2024 Drama Dorothy Hewett – The Golden Oldies The Golden Oldies by Dorothy Hewett Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C145516 12 December 2024 Louis Nowra – Inner Voices Inner Voices by Louis Nowra National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1280552 12 December 2024 Patrick White – Big Toys David Williamson – The Club Non-fiction Blanche d'Alpuget – Mediator: A Biography of Sir Richard Kirby Mediator: A Biography of Sir Richard Kirby by Blanche d'Alpuget National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/993725 12 December 2024 Zelda D'Aprano – Zelda: The Becoming of a Woman Zelda: The Becoming of a Woman by Zelda D'Aprano National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4660018 12 December 2024 Fred Daly – From Curtin to Kerr From Curtin to Kerr by Fred Daly National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2846854 12 December 2024 John Edwards – Life Wasn't Meant to Be Easy: A Political Profile of Malcolm Fraser Life Wasn't Meant to Be Easy: A Political Profile of Malcolm Fraser by John Edwards National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/128233 12 December 2024 Paul Hasluck – Mucking About: An Autobiography Mucking About: An Autobiography by Paul Hasluck National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/960237 12 December 2024 Awards and honours Order of Australia Eleanor Dark appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110837128 Full list for Order of Australia 1977-01-26 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) 2018-07-24 12 Colin Thiele appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870199 Colin Milton Thiele honours.pmc.gov.au 2019-04-20 Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Harwood, Gwendoline Nessie (Gwen) (1920–1995) by Alison Hoddinott Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harwood-gwendoline-nessie-gwen-22407 13 September 2023 Gwen Harwood Patrick White Award Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v617?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents 22 August 2023 Sumner Locke Elliott Literary Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Austlit — The Age Book of the Year Award Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v913?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=33&count=3 4 September 2023 4 September 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230904034012/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v913?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=33&count=3 dead No award ALS Gold Medal ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/als-gold-medal/ 22 August 2023 No award Colin Roderick Awardhttps://www.jcu.edu.au/foundation-for-australian-literary-studies/colin-roderick-award/2017-winner-and-shortlist/previous-winners2 Other Winners 2017-11-15 www.jcu.edu.au en-AU 2019-04-20 20 April 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190420205921/https://www.jcu.edu.au/foundation-for-australian-literary-studies/colin-roderick-award/2017-winner-and-shortlist/previous-winners2 dead Alan Marshall The Complete Stories of Alan Marshall Thomas Nelson Fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award No award Miles Franklin Awardhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jan/07/ruth-park-obituary Ruth Park obituary Eccleshare Julia 2011-01-07 The Guardian 2019-04-20 en-GB 0261-3077 Ruth Park Swords and Crowns and Rings Nelson Books Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award Older Readershttps://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2846781 The October child Spence Eleanor Green Malcolm 1977 Oxford University Press 9780195505474 Melbourne Eleanor Spence The October Child Oxford University Press Picture Book No award Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1977" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1977 12 December 2024 Best Australian Science Fiction David Lake Walkers on the Sky DAW Books Poetry Award Author Title PublisherAnne Elder Award Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1977-78 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v148?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=42&count=3 8 February 2024 Laurie Duggan East: Poems 1970-74 R. Kenny Graeme Curtis At Last No Reply Makar Press Grace Leven Prize for Poetryhttps://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/adamson-robert Adamson, Robert - Poet - Australian Poetry Library www.poetrylibrary.edu.au 2019-04-20 Robert Adamson Selected Poems Angus & Robertson Drama Award Author Title AWGIE Award for Stagehttps://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awgau/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/17162451/Past-AWGIE-Award-Winners-1968-2016FINAL.pdf AWGIE Award Winners 1968-2016 Australian Writers' Guild 27 June 2025 Steve J. Spears The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award No award Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1977 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death. 7 August – Patrick Holland, novelist and short story writer Patrick Holland Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A71623 3 July 2023 Unknown date Jennifer Mills – novelist, short story writer and poetJennifer Mills https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A76636 2023-06-29 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1977 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 6 June – George Landen Dann, playwright (born 1904) George Landen Dann (1904–1977) by Richard Fotheringham Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dann-george-landen-9900 29 March 2025 10 July – Alec Chisholm, journalist, ornithologist and encyclopaedist (born 1890)Chisholm, Alexander Hugh (Alec) (1890-1977) https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P001137b.htm 2023-06-29 Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation en-gb 22 August – Leon Gellert, poet (born 1892) Gellert, Leon Maxwell (1892–1977) by Gavin Souter Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gellert-leon-maxwell-10288 3 July 2023 2 September – Pat Flower, playwright, television scriptwriter and crime novelist (born 1914) Flower, Patricia Mary (Pat) (1914–1977) by Susan Lever Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/flower-patricia-mary-pat-10207 3 July 2023 12 September – Les Haylen, politician, playwright, novelist and journalist (born 1898) Haylen, Leslie Clement (Les) (1898–1977) by R. E. Northey Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/haylen-leslie-clement-les-10466 3 July 2023 See also 1977 in Australia 1977 in literature 1977 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature References Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Category:1977 in literature