1971 in Australian literature

none September 2016 July 2026 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1971. Events Ivan Southall becomes the first Australian author to win the Carnegie Medal for Writing."Carnegie Medal Award" Central Connecticut State University http://web.ccsu.edu/library/nadeau/award%20books/CarnegieMedal.htm#Carnegie%20Medal 10 December 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231442/http://web.ccsu.edu/library/nadeau/award%20books/CarnegieMedal.htm#Carnegie%20Medal 2016-03-03 Major publications Books Jon Cleary – Mask of the Andes Kenneth Cook – Piper in the Market-Place Piper in the Market-Place by Kenneth Cook National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2891266 25 November 2024 Dymphna Cusack – A Bough in Hell Frank Hardy – The Outcasts of Foolgarah The Outcasts of Foolgarah by Frank Hardy National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/471870 25 November 2024 Donald Horne – But What If There Are No Pelicans? But What If There Are No Pelicans? by Donald Horne National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1942726 25 November 2024 David Ireland – The Unknown Industrial Prisoner George Johnston – A Cartload of Clay Thomas Keneally – A Dutiful Daughter Hal Porter – The Right Thing The Right Thing by Hal Porter National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1371731 25 November 2024 Judah Waten – So Far No Further So Far No Further by Judah Waten National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2215813 25 November 2024 Morris West – Summer of the Red Wolf Short stories Elizabeth Jolley – "Bill Sprockett's Land" "Bill Sprockett's Land" by Elizabeth Jolley Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C87380 24 November 2024 Hal Porter "Brett" "Brett" by Hal Porter Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C157991 24 November 2024 Selected Stories Selected Stories by Hal Porter National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1755280 24 November 2024 Children's and Young Adult fiction Hesba Brinsmead – Longtime Passing David Martin – Hughie Hughie by David Martin National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2001444 25 November 2024 Christobel Mattingley – Windmill at Magpie Creek Windmill at Magpie Creek by Christobel Mattingley National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/133627 25 November 2024 Elyne Mitchell – Light Horse to Damascus Light Horse to Damascus by Elyne Mitchell National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2888830 25 November 2024 Ivan Southall – Josh P. L. Travers – Friend Monkey Friend Monkey by P. L. Travers National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/5514489 25 November 2024 Science fiction and fantasy John Baxter – The Second Pacific Book of Science Fiction The Second Pacific Book of Science Fiction edited by John Baxter ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?36406 24 November 2024 A. Bertram Chandler Alternate Orbits Alternate Orbits by A. Bertram Chandler ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?752 24 November 2024 To Prime the Pump To Prime the Pump by A. Bertram Chandler ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?726 24 November 2024 Lindsay Gutteridge – Cold War in a Country Garden Cold War in a Country Garden by Lindsay Gutteridge ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?23102 24 November 2024 Lee Harding – "Fallen Spaceman" Jack Wodhams – The Authentic Touch The Authentic Touch by Jack Wodhams ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?8298 24 November 2024 Poetry 1971 in poetry Robert Adamson – The Rumour The Rumour by Robert Adamson National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1778951 20 November 2024 Bruce Dawe – Condolences of the Season : Selected Poems Condolences of the Season : Selected Poems by Bruce Dawe National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2601586 20 November 2024 Gwen Harwood – "Oyster Cove" "Oyster Cove" by Gwen Harwood Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C102986 20 November 2024 A. D. Hope – "Inscription for a War" "Inscription for a War" by A. D. Hope Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C129122 20 November 2024 James McAuley – Collected Poems 1936-1970 Collected Poems 1936-1970 by James McAuley National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1077634 20 November 2024 Dorothea Mackellar – The Poems of Dorothea Mackellar The Poems of Dorothea Mackellar by Dorothea Mackellar National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1994495 20 November 2024 Geoff Page – "Smalltown Memorials" "Smalltown Memorials" by Geoff Page Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C215905 20 November 2024 David Rowbotham – The Pen of Feathers : Poems The Pen of Feathers : Poems by David Rowbotham National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1994519 20 November 2024 T. G. H. Strehlow – Songs of Central Australia (edited) Songs of Central Australia edited by T. G. H. Strehlow National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/481755 20 November 2024 Chris Wallace-Crabbe "Other People" Where the Wind Came : poems Where the Wind Came : poems by Chris Wallace-Crabbe National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/472022 20 November 2024 Judith Wright – Collected Poems, 1942-1970 Collected Poems, 1942-1970 by Judith Wright National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2655308 20 November 2024 Drama Alex Buzo – Macquarie : A Play Macquarie : A Play by Alex Buzo National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3547627 24 November 2024 Dorothy Hewett – The Chapel Perilous Ray Lawler – The Man Who Shot the Albatross The Man Who Shot the Albatross by Ray Lawler Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C246186 24 November 2024 Jim McNeil – The Chocolate Frog David Williamson Don's Party The Removalists 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/ 31 August 2023 Colin Badger Colin Roderick Award"Colin Roderick Award - Previous Winners", James Cook University Geoffrey Serle The Rush to be Rich Melbourne University Press Miles Franklin Award"Award", The Canberra Times, 29 March 1972, p3 David Ireland The Unknown Industrial Prisoner Angus and Robertson Children and Young Adult International National Award Author Title Publisher Carnegie Medal for Writing Ivan Southall Josh Angus and Robertson National Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award Older Readers"1971 Awards", The Canberra Times, 10 July 1971, p15 Ivan Southall Bread and Honey Angus and Robertson Picture Book A. B. Paterson, illustrated by Desmond Digby Waltzing Matilda Collins Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title PublisherAustralian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1971" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1971 21 November 2024 Best Australian Science Fiction A. Bertram Chandler "The Bitter Pill" Vision of Tomorrow Poetry Award Author Title PublisherGrace Leven Prize for Poetry Judith WrightAustlit - Collected Poems, 1942-1970 by Judith Wright Collected Poems, 1942-1970 Angus and Robertson James McAuleyAustlit - Collected Poems 1936-1970 by James McAuley Collected Poems 1936-1970 Angus and 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 Michael Boddy & Bob Ellis The Legend of King O'Malley 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 Leigh Redhead Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A84243 20 November 2024 Unknown date Helen Dale (born Helen Darville), novelist Helen Dale Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A48627 9 December 2024 Libby Hart, poetLibby Hart https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A23451 2024-03-05 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland James Ley, literary critic and founder of the Sydney Review of BooksJames Ley https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A70104 2024-03-05 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland John Mateer, poet and author (in South Africa)John Mateer https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A754 2024-03-05 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 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) Joe Walker (1910-1971) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A21165 20 November 2024 3 February – Richard Harry Graves, poet and novelist (born 1897) Richard Harry Graves (1897-1971) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A9846 3 July 2023 11 March – Frank Clune, novelist and travel writer (born 1893) Clune, Francis Patrick (Frank) (1893–1971) by Julian Croft Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/clune-francis-patrick-frank-9769 1 September 2023 10 June – Maysie Coucher Greig, writer of romantic novels and thrillers (born 1901) Greig, Maysie Coucher (1901–1971) by Martha Rutledge Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/greig-maysie-coucher-10364 23 September 2023 30 June – Kenneth Slessor, poet (born 1901) Slessor, Kenneth Adolf (1901–1971) by Dennis Haskell Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/slessor-kenneth-adolf-11712 23 June 2023 11 September – Hilda Bridges, novelist and short story writer (born 1881) Bridges, Hilda Maggie (1881–1971) by J. C. Horner Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bridges-hilda-maggie-5637 3 July 2023 7 November – Minnie Agnes Filson, poet (born 1898)Minnie Agnes May Filson (1898-1971) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A12675 2023-09-01 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland Unknown date G. C. Bleeck – novelist (born 1907) G. C. Bleeck (1907-1971) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A17513 9 November 2023 See also 1971 in Australia 1971 in literature 1971 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:1971 in literature