1970 in Australian literature

none September 2016 July 2026 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1970. Major publications Books Jessica Anderson – The Last Man's Head The Last Man's Head by Jessica Anderson National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1512959 17 November 2024 Jon Cleary – Helga's Web Geoffrey Dutton – Tamara Tamara by Geoffrey Dutton National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/141759 17 November 2024 Catherine Gaskin – Fiona Fiona by Catherine Gaskin National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2271202 17 November 2024 Shirley Hazzard – The Bay of Noon Barry Oakley – A Salute to the Great McCarthy A Salute to the Great McCarthy by Barry Oakley National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1941232 17 November 2024 Dal Stivens – A Horse of Air Colin Thiele – Labourers in the Vineyard Labourers in the Vineyard by Colin Thiele National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2567666 17 November 2024 Patrick White – The Vivisector Short stories Murray Bail – "Paradise" "Paradise" by Murray Bail Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C50170 12 November 2024 Alexandra Hasluck – Of Ladies Dead : Stories Not in the Modern Manner Of Ladies Dead : Stories Not in the Modern Manner by Alexandra Hasluck National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1033348 12 November 2024 Frank Moorhouse – "The Coca-Cola Kid" "The Coca-Cola Kid" by Frank Moorhouse Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C191854 12 November 2024 Hal Porter – Mr Butterfry and Other Tales of New Japan Mr Butterfry and Other Tales of New Japan by Hal Porter National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/163939 12 November 2024 Children's and Young Adult fiction Hesba Brinsmead – Listen to the Wind Listen to the Wind by Hesba Brinsmead National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/629011 17 November 2024 Mavis Thorpe Clark – Iron Mountain Iron Mountain by Mavis Thorpe Clark National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2100207 17 November 2024 Max Fatchen – Conquest of the River Conquest of the River by Max Fatchen National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/5150002 17 November 2024 Lilith Norman – Climb a Lonely Hill Climb a Lonely Hill by Lilith Norman National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3598041 17 November 2024 Ruth Park The Muddle-Headed Wombat in the Springtime The Muddle-Headed Wombat in the Springtime by Ruth Park National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/85289 17 November 2024 The Muddle-Headed Wombat on the River The Muddle-Headed Wombat on the River by Ruth Park National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2823543 17 November 2024 Joan Phipson – The Haunted Night The Haunted Night by Joan Phipson National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1133446 17 November 2024 Ivan Southall Bread and Honey Chinaman's Reef is Ours Chinaman's Reef is Ours by Ivan Southall National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2568069 17 November 2024 Science fiction and fantasy Damien Broderick – Sorcerer's World Sorcerer's World by Damien Broderick ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?31265 12 November 2024 A. Bertram Chandler – "The Bitter Pill" Michael Wilding – "The Man of Slow Feeling" "The Man of Slow Feeling" by Michael Wilding ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?8297 12 November 2024 Poetry 1970 in poetry Jack Davis – The First-Born and Other Poems The First-Born and Other Poems by Jack Davis National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2564394 12 November 2024 Bruce Dawe – "Weapons Training" Michael Dransfield – "Fix" "Fix" by Michael Dransfield Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C195319 12 November 2024 Robert Gray – "Journey : The North Coast" "Journey : The North Coast" by Robert Gray Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C104382 12 November 2024 Rodney Hall – Heaven, in a Way Heaven, in a Way by Rodney Hall National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2655158 12 November 2024 A. D. Hope – Dunciad Minor Dunciad Minor by A. D. Hope National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/419588 12 November 2024 David Malouf – Bicycle and Other Poems Peter Porter – The Last of England The Last of England by Peter Porter National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1135994 12 November 2024 David Rowbotham – The Makers of the Ark : Poems The Makers of the Ark : Poems by David Rowbotham National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2582375 12 November 2024 Kath Walker – My People : A Kath Walker Collection My People : A Kath Walker Collection by Kath Walker National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1686237 12 November 2024 Drama Michael Boddy & Bob Ellis – The Legend of King O'Malley David Williamson The Coming of Stork You've Got to Get on Jack Non-fiction Germaine Greer – The Female Eunuch Awards and honours Literary Award Author Title Publisher ALS Gold Medal ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/als-gold-medal/ 3 September 2023 Manning Clark Colin Roderick Award Colin Roderick Award — Other Winners James Cook University https://www.jcu.edu.au/foundation-for-australian-literary-studies/roderick-award/previous-winners2 20 September 2024 Margaret Lawrie Myths and Legends of Torres Strait University of Queensland Press Miles Franklin Award"Award to Stivens" The Canberra Times, 25 March 1971, p3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110344879 20 September 2024 Dal Stivens A Horse of Air Angus and Robertson Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award Older Readers"Judges' Awards" The Canberra Times, 11 July 1970, p16 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110331635 20 September 2024 Annette Macarthur-Onslow Uhu Ure Smith Picture Book No award Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title PublisherAustralian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1970" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1970 10 November 2024 Best Australian Science Fiction Lee Harding "Dancing Gerontius" Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Austlit — Letters to Live Poets by Bruce Beaver Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C25331 20 September 2024 Bruce Beaver Letters to Live Poets South Head Press Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1970 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death. 22 February – Bradley Trevor Greive, children's writer and television screenwriterBradley Trevor Greive https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A79176 2025-11-16 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 8 June – Paul Haines, short story writer (born in New Zealand)(died 2012)2012-03-05 Paul Haines (1970–2012) https://locusmag.com/2012/03/paul-haines-1970-2012/ 2024-02-25 Locus Online en-US Unknown date Lee Battersby, novelist and short story writer (born in Nottingham, England)Lee Battersby https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A69160 2024-02-25 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland Julia Leigh, novelist and script writerJulia Leigh https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A5042 2024-02-25 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland Martin Livings, short story writerMartin J. Livings https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A28374 2024-02-25 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland Caroline Overington, novelist and journalistCaroline Overington https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A9671 2024-02-25 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 1970 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 20 April — Ronald Campbell, novelist and short story writer (born 1896) Ronald Campbell (1896-1970) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A8526 24 June 2023 1 May – Nan Chauncy, writer for children (born 1900) Chauncy, Nancen Beryl (Nan) (1900–1970) by Berenice Eastman Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/chauncy-nancen-beryl-nan-9735 23 September 2023 24 May – Frank Dalby Davison, novelist and short story writer (born 1893) Davison, Frank Dalby (1893–1970) by Robert Darby Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/davison-frank-dalby-9923 1 September 2023 22 July – George Johnston, novelist (born 1912) George Johnston (1790–1820) by A. T. Yarwood Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/johnston-george-2278 25 November 2023 30 July – Walter Murdoch, academic and essayist (born 1874) Murdoch, Sir Walter Logie (1874–1970) by Fred Alexander Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/murdoch-sir-walter-logie-7698 30 July 2023 See also 1970 in Australia 1970 in literature 1970 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:1970 in literature