1951 in Australian literature

none May 2024 May 2024 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1951. Events 18 June – Frank Hardy is acquitted of criminal libel in the state of Victoria over his self-published 1950 roman à clef on corruption in Melbourne political life, Power Without GloryDymphna Cusack Florence James Miles Franklin Yarn Spinners: A Story in Letters https://books.google.com/books?id=8xXxxUoW8aEC&pg=PA278 2001 University of Queensland Press 978-0-7022-3192-6 278 Books Dymphna Cusack – Say No to Death Dymphna Cusack and Florence James – Come In Spinner Eric Lambert – The Twenty Thousand Thieves The Twenty Thousand Thieves by Eric Lambert National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/726099 27 March 2024 Kenneth Mackenzie – Dead Men Rising Dead Men Rising by Seaford Mackenzie National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/787278 27 March 2024 Ruth Park – The Witch's Thorn Nevil Shute – Round the Bend Dal Stivens – Jimmy Brockett F. J. Thwaites – The Dark Abyss E. V. Timms – The Valleys Beyond Arthur Upfield – The New Shoe Short stories Henrietta Drake-Brockman & Walter Murdoch – Australian Short Stories (edited) Australian Short Stories by Henrietta Drake-Brockman & Walter Murdoch National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/707881 27 March 2024 Frank Hardy – The Man from Clinkapella and Other Prize-Winning Stories The Man from Clinkapella and Other Prize-Winning Stories by Frank Hardy National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2121207 27 March 2024 T. A. G. Hungerford – "The Only One Who Forgot" Austlit — "The Only One Who Forgot" by T.A. G. Hungerford Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C71073 27 March 2024 David Rowbotham – "A Schoolie and a Ghost" Austlit — "A Schoolie and a Ghost" by David Rowbotham Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C176542 27 March 2024 Judah Waten – "Read Politics, Son" Austlit — "Read Politics, Son" by Judah Waten Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C24874 27 March 2024 Judith Wright – "The Ant-Lion" Austlit — "The Ant-Lion" by Judith Wright Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C12474 27 March 2024 Poetry 1951 in poetry John Blight – "The Oyster-Eaters" Austlit — "The Oyster-Eaters" by John Blight Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C264452 27 March 2024 David Campbell – "Windy Gap" Rosemary Dobson – "Detail from an Annunciation by Crivelli" Austlit — "Detail from an Annunciation by Crivelli" by Rosemary Dobson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C234698 27 March 2024 W. E. Harney – "West of Alice" Austlit — "West of Alice" by W. E. Harney Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C209740 27 March 2024 A. D. Hope – "The Brides" Austlit — "The Brides" by A. D. Hope Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C239365 27 March 2024 Rex Ingamells – The Great South Land : An Epic Poem Nancy Keesing – Imminent Summer Imminent Summer by Nancy Keesing National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/715221 27 March 2024 Christopher Koch – "Half-Heard" Austlit — "Half-Heard" by Christopher Koch Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C238499 27 March 2024 Eve Langley – "Australia" Austlit — "Australia" by Eve Langley Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C105542 27 March 2024 Kenneth Mackenzie – "Caesura" Austlit — "Caesura" by Seaforth Mackenzie Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C81471 27 March 2024 Ray Mathew With Cypress Pine With Cypress Pine by Ray Mathew National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2442819 27 March 2024 "Young Man's Fancy" Austlit — "Young Man's Fancy" by Ray Mathew Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C238788 27 March 2024 Hal Porter – "Sheep" Austlit — "Sheep" by Hal Porter Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C13454 27 March 2024 Elizabeth Riddell – "Forebears : The Map" Austlit — "Forebears : The Map" by elizabeth Riddell Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C218491 27 March 2024 Roland Robinson "I Had No Human Speech" Austlit — "I Had No Human Speech" by Roland Robinson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C206990 27 March 2024 "Rock-Lily" Austlit — "Rock-Lily" by Roland Robinson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C204945 27 March 2024 "The Tank" Austlit — "The Tank" by Roland Robinson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C103760 27 March 2024 Douglas Stewart "Mahony's Mountain" Austlit — "Mahony's Mountain" by Douglas Stewart Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C194194 27 March 2024 "The Sunflowers" Austlit — "The Sunflowers" by Douglas Stewart Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C105443 27 March 2024 Judith Wright – "Eroded Hills" Biography Paul Brickhill The Dam Busters The Great Escape Drama Radio Henry P. Schoenheimer – Wilbur Wasn't Quite Perfect Theatre Sumner Locke Elliott – Buy Me Blue Ribbons 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/ 27 May 2024 Rex Ingamells The Great South Land : An Epic Poem Georgian House Children's and Young Adult Award Category Author Title Publisher Children's Book of the Year Award"Prizewinner for Children", The Sydney Herald, 5 August 1951, p11 Older Readers Ruth C. Williams, illustrated by Rhys Williams Verity of Sydney Town Angus and Robertson Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Grace Leven Prize for PoetryAustlit - The Great South Land by Rex Ingamells Rex Ingamells The Great South Land : An Epic Poem Georgian House Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1951 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death. 18 January – Sally Morgan, author and dramatist Sally Morgan Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A35035 27 March 2024 22 January – Steve J. Spears, playwright (died 2007)Steve J. Spears https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A12225 2023-09-23 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 2 May – Valerie Parv, romance novelist (died 2021)Valerie Parv (1951-2021) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A24433 2023-09-23 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 24 July – Robert Hood, novelist Robert Hood Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A21042 27 March 2024 29 August – Janeen Webb, writer, critic and editor, mainly in the field of science fiction and fantasy Janeen Webb Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A21529 27 March 2024 12 October – Peter Goldsworthy, novelist Peter Goldsworthy Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A22244 27 March 2024 16 November – Hazel Rowley, biographer (died 2011)Hazel Rowley (1951-2011) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A19707 2023-09-23 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 30 July 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240730172356/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A19707 dead 25 November – Van Ikin, academic and editor Van Ikin Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A12769 27 March 2024 Unknown date Peter Boyle, poet Peter Boyle Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A2316 27 March 2024 Peter Craven, literary critic Peter Craven Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A8523 27 March 2024 Susan Duncan, author and journalist (died 2024) Susan Duncan (1951-2024) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A88876 13 February 2025 Stephen Edgar, poet and editor Stephen Edgar Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A20743 27 March 2024 Robert Harris, poet (died 1993) Robert Harris (1951-1993) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A12436 13 November 2023 Mark Henshaw, novelistMark Henshaw https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A24849 2025-10-05 AustLit Jill Jones, poet Jill Jones Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A9707 27 March 2024 Pi O, poet (in Greece) Pi O Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A18486 27 March 2024 Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1951 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 18 April – Daisy Bates, journalist (born 1859) Bates, Daisy May (1863–1951) by R. V. S. Wright Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bates-daisy-may-83 20 July 2023 25 June – Arthur Gask, novelist (born 1869) Gask, Arthur Cecil (1869–1951) by Michael J. Tolley Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gask-arthur-cecil-10283 26 July 2023 3 July – Sydney Jephcott, poet (born 1864) Jephcott, Sydney Wheeler (1864–1951) by Ken Stewart Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/jephcott-sydney-wheeler-6842 18 July 2023 4 November — Bartlett Adamson, journalist, poet, writer and political activist (born 1884)Darby Robert George Ernest Bartlett Adamson (1884–1951) Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/adamson-george-ernest-bartlett-9309 2025-11-16 Canberra National Centre of Biography, Australian National University en 16 December – Percival Serle, biographer and bibliographer (born 1871) Serle, Percival (1871–1951) by Geoffrey Serle Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/serle-percival-8387 26 July 2023 See also 1951 in Australia 1951 in literature 1951 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature References Literature Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Category:1951 in literature