1984 in Australian literature

none December 2019 December 2019 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1984. Events Tim Winton’s Shallows won the 1984 Miles Franklin Award Major publications Novels Sumner Locke Elliott — About Tilly Beamis Helen Garner — The Children's Bach Nicholas Hasluck — The Bellarmine Jug David Ireland — Archimedes and the Seagle Peter Kocan — The Treatment; and, the Cure The Treatment; and, the Cure by Peter Kocan National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1062789 24 June 2026 Elizabeth Jolley — Milk and Honey Amanda Lohrey — The Morality of Gentlemen The Morality of Gentlemen by Amanda Lohrey National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2741380 24 June 2026 David Malouf — Harland's Half Acre Jill Neville — Last Ferry to Manly Last Ferry to Manly by Jill Neville National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/979478 24 June 2026 Randolph Stow — The Suburbs of Hell Austlit — The Suburbs of Hell by Randolph Stowe Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C183547 11 November 2023 Tim Winton — Shallows Crime and mystery Marshall Browne — Dark Harbour Dark Harbour by Marshall Browne Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C379268 11 November 2023 Peter Corris — Heroin Annie and Other Cliff Hardy Stories Evan Green — Alice to Nowhere Alice to Nowhere by Evan Green Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C272155 11 November 2023 Tony Kenrick — Blast Blast by Tony Kenrick Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C545140 11 November 2023 William Marshall — The Far Away Man The Far Away Man by William Marshall Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C192275 11 November 2023 Science fiction and fantasy A. Bertram Chandler — The Wild Ones The Wild Ones by A. Bertram Chandler ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?724 14 May 2024 Victor Kelleher — The Beast of Heaven The Beast of Heaven by Victor Kelleher ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?2884 15 October 2024 Keith Taylor — Bard II Bard II by Keith Taylor ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?14441 14 May 2024 Cherry Wilder A Princess of the Chameln A Princess of the Chameln by Cherry Wilder ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?5467 14 May 2024 Yorath the Wolf Yorath the Wolf by Cherry Wilder ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?5468 14 May 2024 Short story anthologies John Morrison — Stories of the Waterfront Austlit — Stories of the Waterfront by John Morrison Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C44470 11 November 2023 Children's and young adult fiction James Aldridge — The True Story of Lilli Stubeck Austlit — The True Story of Lilli Stubeck by James Aldridge Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C173511 11 November 2023 Robin Klein — Hating Alison Ashley Emily Rodda — Something Special Austlit — Something Special by Emily Rodda Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C389202 11 November 2023 Nadia Wheatley — Dancing in the Anzac Deli Austlit — Dancing in the Anzac Deli by Nadia Wheatley Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C389331 11 November 2023 Poetry John Barnes and Brian McFarlane – Cross Country : A Book of Australian Verse Doris Brett — The Truth about Unicorns The Truth about Unicorns by Lily Brett National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2834780 11 September 2026 Chris Wallace-Crabbe and Peter Pierce (editors) — Clubbing the Gunfire : 101 Australian War Poems Rosemary Dobson — The Three Fates & Other Poems Robert Gray — The Skylight The Skylight by Robert Gray National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/939752 11 September 2026 Syd Harrex — Atlantis and Other Islands Atlantis and Other Islands by Syd Harrex National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/7510018 11 September 2026 Kevin Hart — Your Shadow Les Murray — "The Dream of Wearing Shorts Forever" Dorothy Porter — The Night Parrot The Night Parrot by Dorothy Porter National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1340923 11 September 2026 Awards and honours Nancy Cato AUS AM, for "service to Australian literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870186 Nancy Fotheringham Cato honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191211080912/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870186 11 December 2019 2019-12-11 John Manifold AUS AM, for "service literature as a poet and musicianhttps://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870151 John Streeter Manifold honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20180713164621/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870151 13 July 2018 2019-12-11 Dorothy Auchterlonie Green AUS OAM, for "service to Australian literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869852 Dorothy Green honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191211080914/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869852 11 December 2019 2019-12-11 Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award 1980-87 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v539?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=18&count=3 13 September 2023 Not awarded 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 Rosemary Dobson Literary awards Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award"Book council president" The Canberra Times, 8 December 1984, p3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122533199 30 December 2023 Nicholas Hasluck The Bellarmine Jug Penguin 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 Les Murray The People's Otherworld : Poems Angus and Robertson 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 Alan Gould The Man Who Stayed Below Angus and Robertson NSW Premier's Special Award 'Milk' wins Farmer $10,000 NSW award The Age, 4 September 1984, p14 https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/september-4-1984-page-14-44/docview/2521355690/se-2 19 April 2024 Marjorie Barnard Fiction awards Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Nicholas Hasluck The Bellarmine Jug Penguin The Australian/Vogel Literary Award Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1984 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v385?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=33&count=3 11 November 2023 Kate Grenville Lilian's Story Allen and Unwin Miles Franklin Awardhttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127010139 Franklin award to Winton The Canberra Times 59 18,124 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 15 May 1985 25 June 2023 24 National Library of Australia Tim Winton Shallows Allen and Unwin New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Beverley Farmer Milk McPhee Gribble Western 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 2025 T. A. G. Hungerford Stories From Suburban Road Fremantle Arts Centre Press 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 Patricia Wrightson A Little Fear Hutchinson Picture Book Pamela Allen Bertie and the Bear Nelson Books New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Young People's Literature Mem Fox and Julie Vivas Possum Magic Omnibus Books Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1984" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1984 28 June 2025 Best Australian Science Fiction George Turner Yesterday's Men Faber & Faber Poetry Award Author Title PublisherAnne Elder Award Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1982-84 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v148?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=36&count=3 9 February 2024 Doris Brett The Truth About Unicorns Jacaranda Press Max Richards Under Mount Egmont and Other Poems Neptune Press Grace Leven Prize for Poetry"Poetry prize to Rosemary Dobson" The Canberra Times, 30 October 1985, p29 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article132375465 4 September 2023 Rosemary Dobson The Three Fates & Other Poems Hale & Iremonger New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Les Murray The People's Otherworld : Poems Angus & Robertson Drama Award Category Author TitleNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Script Michael Jenkins Careful, He Might Hear You Robert Caswell Scales of Justice Play Warwick Moss Down an Alley Filled with Cats Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award John Rickard H.B. Higgins: The Rebel and Judge Allen and Unwin New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Sylvia Lawson The Archibald Paradox Allen Lane Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1984 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 21 January — Alan Marshall, writer, story teller, humanist and social documenter (born 1902) Marshall, Alan (1902–1984) by John McLaren Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/marshall-alan-14935 27 June 2023 12 March — Peg Maltby, artist, book illustrator and children's writer (born 1899 in England) Peg Maltby (1899-1984) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A46741 27 June 2023 6 June — A. Bertram Chandler, mariner-turned-science fiction writer (born 1912) Chandler, Arthur Bertram (Bert) (1912–1984) by Alf Van Der Poorten Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/chandler-arthur-bertram-bert-12307 27 June 2023 24 June — Francis Brabazon, poet and member of Meher Baba's mandali (born 1907) Francis Brabazon (1907-1984) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A22030 27 June 2023 29 September — Hal Porter, novelist, playwright, poet and short story writer (1911) Porter, Harold Edward (Hal) (1911–1984) by Peter Pierce Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/porter-harold-edward-hal-15483 27 June 2023 10 November — Xavier Herbert, writer (born 1901) Herbert, Albert Francis Xavier (1901–1984) by Russell McDougall Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/herbert-albert-francis-xavier-12623 23 June 2023 10 December — Jean Campbell, novelist (born 1901) Campbell, Jean May (1901–1984) by John Arnold Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/campbell-jean-may-12286 23 September 2023 23 December — Joan Lindsay, novelist, playwright, essayist and visual artist (born 1896) Lindsay, Joan à Beckett (1896–1984) by Terence O'Neill Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lindsay-joan-a-beckett-14176 24 June 2023 See also 1984 in Australia 1984 in literature 1984 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature References Literature Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Australian literature