1985 in Australian literature

none December 2019 December 2019 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1985. Events Christopher Koch won the 1985 Miles Franklin Award for The Doubleman Major publications Novels Thea Astley — Beachmasters Peter Carey — Illywhacker Sumner Locke Elliott — About Tilly Beamis Austlit — About Tilly Beamis by Sumner Locke Elliott Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C176076 14 November 2023 David Foster — Dog Rock Austlit — Dog Rock by David Foster Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C177011 14 November 2023 Kate Grenville — Lilian's Story Barbara Hanrahan — Annie Magdalene Austlit — Annie Magdalene by Barbara Hanrahan Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C180094 14 November 2023 Thomas Keneally — A Family Madness Christopher Koch — The Doubleman Short story collections David Malouf — Antipodes Olga Masters — A Long Time Dying Austlit — A Long Time Dying by Olga Masters Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C162761 14 November 2023 Crime and mystery Peter Corris The Big Drop, and Other Cliff Hardy Stories Make Me Rich Pokerface Pokerface by Peter Corris National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1663512 26 February 2025 Children's and young adult fiction Pamela Allen — A Lion in the Night Duncan Ball — Selby's Secret Thurley Fowler – The Green Wind The Green Wind (Rigby) National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2841270 9 March 2024 Robin Klein — Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left Gillian Rubinstein — Space Demons Poetry John Blight — Holiday Sea Sonnets Holiday Sea Sonnets by John Blight National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2982691 1 December 2025 Robert Gray — Selected Poems 1963-1983 A. D. Hope — The Age of Reason The Age of Reason by A. D. Hope National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2979170 1 December 2025 Leonie Kramer and Adrian Mitchell — The Oxford Anthology of Australian Literature The Oxford Anthology of Australian Literature edited by Leonie Kramer and Adrian Mitchell National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/989867 1 December 2025 Judith Rodriguez — "In-Flight Note" Chris Wallace-Crabbe — The Amorous Cannibal Judith Wright — Phantom Dwelling Phantom Dwelling by Judith Wright National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/29445 1 December 2025 Drama Janis Balodis – Too Young for Ghosts Jack Davis — No Sugar Michael Gow — The Astronaut’s Wife Austlit — The Astronaut’s Wife by Michael Gow Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C396553 14 November 2023 Louis Nowra — The Golden Age David Williamson — Sons of Cain Non-fiction John Bryson — Evil Angels Evil Angels by John Bryson National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1700813 20 May 2024 Awards and honours Jack Davis AUS AM, for "service to Aboriginal literature and theatre"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870225 Jack Leonard Davis honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191212034407/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870225 12 December 2019 2019-12-12 Frank Moorhouse AUS AM, for "service to Australian literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869806 Frank Thomas Moorhouse honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191212034409/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869806 12 December 2019 2019-12-12 Morris West AUS AM, for "service to literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870226 Morris Langlo West honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191212034409/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870226 12 December 2019 2019-12-12 Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award"Interview with Les A. Murray" by Barbara Williams Westerly, Winter 1992 https://westerlymag.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/37.2.45-56.pdf 13 September 2023 Les Murray Patrick White Award Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v617?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents 22 August 2023 22 August 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230822040912/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v617?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents dead Judah Waten (posthumous) Literary awards Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award"Another award for Carey's 'Illywacker'" The Canberra Times, 7 March 1986, p1 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118105296 30 December 2023 Peter Carey Illywhacker University of Queensland Press ALS Gold Medal ALS Gold Medal - Previous Winners Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/als-gold-medal/ 25 June 2023 David Ireland Archimedes and the Seagle Viking Press 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 25 June 2023 John Gunn The Defeat of Distance : Qantas 1919-1939 University of Queensland Press Fiction awards Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Peter Carey Illywhacker University of Queensland Press The Australian/Vogel Literary Award Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1985 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v385?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=33&count=3 14 November 2023 No award Miles Franklin Awardhttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article131703776 Koch wins literary award The Canberra Times 60 18,487 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 14 May 1986 25 June 2023 7 National Library of Australia Christopher Koch The Doubleman Chatto & Windus New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Scholarly biography wins Premier's award Sydney Morning Herald, 10 September 1985, p4 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2526272676 3 May 2024 2526272676 Elizabeth Jolley Milk and Honey Fremantle Arts Centre Press Victorian Premier's Literary AwardsMalouf takes $15,000 Palmer prize The Age, 15 August 1985, p3 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2521256342/se-2 26 April 2024 2521256342 David Malouf Antipodes Chatto and WindusWestern Australian Premier's Book Awards"Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's" University Libraries https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=341672&p=2299464 4 April 2025Tim Winton Shallows Allen & Unwin Scission and Other Stories McPhee Gribble Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year AwardThe Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards 1946– The Children's Book Council of Australia https://cbca.blob.core.windows.net/documents/National/CBCA%20Awards%201946%20on.pdf 26 July 2026 Older Readers James Aldridge The True Story of Lilli Stubeck Hyland House Picture Book Not awarded New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Young People's Literature Nadia Wheatley The House that Was Eureka Penguin Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1985" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1985 28 June 2025 Best Australian Science Fiction Victor Kelleher The Beast of Heaven University of Queensland Press Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Anne Elder Award Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1985-88 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v148?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=33&count=3 9 February 2024 Stephen J. Williams A Crowd of Voices Pariah Press Co-op Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Austlit — Grave Leven prize 1985 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v186?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=18&count=3 9 November 2023 Robert Gray Selected Poems 1963-1983 Angus and Robertson Chris Wallace-Crabbe The Amorous Cannibal Oxford University Press Mary Gilmore AwardMary Gilmore Award Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/mary-gilmore-award/ 8 February 2024 Doris Brett The Truth About Unicorns Jacaranda Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Kevin Hart Your Shadow Angus & RobertsonVictorian Premier's Literary Awards Rosemary Dobson The Three Fates & Other Poems Hale & Iremonger Kevin Hart Your Shadow Angus & Robertson Drama Award Category Author TitleNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Script Bob Ellis and Paul Cox My First Wife Margaret Kelly, Chris Noonan, Phillip Noyceand Russell Braddon The Cowra Breakout Play Stephen Sewell The Blind Giant is Dancing Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Drama David Allen Cheapside Non-fiction Award Author Title PublisherThe Age Book of the Year Award Chester Eagle Mapping the Paddocks McPhee Gribble Hugh Lunn Vietnam: A Reporter's War University of Queensland Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Elsie Webster The Moon Man Melbourne University Press Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Bernard Smith The Boy Adeodatus : The Portrait of a Lucky Young Bastard Allen Lane Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1985 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death. Unknown date Hannah Kent, historical novelist Hannah Kent Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A117884 27 June 2023 Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1985 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 26 January — Anne Spencer Parry, pioneer fantasy writer (born 1931) Austlit — Anne Parry (1931-1985) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A16661 14 November 2023 14 February — Douglas Stewart, poet, short story writer, essayist and literary editor (born 1913) Douglas Alexander Stewart (1913–1985) by Ivor Indyk Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stewart-douglas-alexander-15726 14 November 2023 19 April — John Manifold, poet and critic (born 1915)J. S. Manifold (1915-1985) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A3726 2023-09-14 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 5 May — Carter Brown, writer of detective fiction (born in England, 1923)Alan Yates (1923-1985) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A62790 2023-09-23 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 18 July — F. B. Vickers, novelist (born 1903) Austlit — F. B. Vickers (1903-1985) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A19919 14 November 2023 29 July — Judah Waten, novelist (born 1911) Judah Leon Waten (1911–1985) by David Carter Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/waten-judah-leon-14884 14 November 2023 11 September — Eleanor Dark, novelist (born 1901) Dark, Eleanor (1901–1985) by Marivic Wyndham Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dark-eleanor-12400 23 June 2023 4 November — A. A. Phillips, writer, critic and teacher, best known for coining the term "Cultural Cringe" (born 1900) Austlit — A. A. Phillips (1900-1985) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A15051 14 November 2023 See also 1985 in Australia 1985 in literature 1985 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature References Category:1985 in Australia Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Category:1985 in literature