1995 in Australian literature

none December 2019 December 2019 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1995. Events Helen Demidenko won the Miles Franklin Award for The Hand That Signed the Paper Major publications Novels Carmel Bird – The White Garden The White Garden by Carnel Bird National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/726522 29 April 2024 Marshall Browne – The Gilded Cage The Gilded Cage by Marshall Browne National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/985993 15 July 2024 Bryce Courtenay — The Potato Factory Beverley Farmer — The House in the Light The House in the Light by Beverley Farmer National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2098725 29 April 2024 Judith Fox – Bracelet Honeymyrtle Bracelet Honeymyrtle by Judith Fox National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2213564 29 April 2024 Paul Horsfall – The Touchstone The Touchstone by Paul Horsfall National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2141682 29 April 2024 Rod Jones — Billy Sunday Thomas Keneally — A River Town Christopher Koch — Highways to a War Amanda Lohrey – Camille's Bread Alex Miller — The Sitters The Sitters by Alex Miller National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/564202 29 April 2024 Mandy Sayer — The Cross The Cross by Mandy Sayer National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/818239 29 April 2024 Kathleen Stewart — Spilt Milk Spilt Milk by Kathleen Stewart National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2080669 29 April 2024 Crime and mystery Jon Cleary – Winter Chill John Dale — Dark Angel Garry Disher – Port Vila Blues Port Vila Blues by Garry Disher National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2343581 29 April 2024 Kerry Greenwood – Ruddy Gore Ruddy Gore by Kerry Greenwood National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/592771 29 April 2024 Gabrielle Lord – Bones Bones by Gabrielle Lord National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/541182 29 April 2024 Barry Maitland — The Malcontenta Science fiction and fantasy David Brooks — The House of Balthus Jack Dann — The Memory Cathedral: A Secret History of Leonardo da Vinci Sara Douglass — Battleaxe Greg Egan Axiomatic Distress "Luminous" "A Kidnapping" "Mitochondrial Eve" "Silver Fire" "TAP" "Wang's Carpets" Paul Kidd — Mus of Kerbridge Garth Nix — Sabriel Gillian Rubinstein — Galax-Arena Tony Shillitoe — The Last Wizard Children's and young adult fiction Isobelle Carmody — Ashling Brian Caswell — Deucalion Mem Fox — Wombat Divine Sonya Hartnett — Sleeping Dogs Sleeping Dogs by Sonya Hartnett National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2063518 29 April 2024 Catherine Jinks — Witch Bank John Marsden — The Third Day, The Frost Garth Nix — Sabriel Poetry Jordie Albiston — Nervous Arcs Nervous Arcs by Jordie Albiston National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/776098 29 April 2024 Peter Bakowski — In the Human Night J. S. Harry – Selected Poems Dorothy Hewett — Collected Poems 1940–1995 Collected Poems 1940–1995 by Dorothy Hewett National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/796136 10 May 2024 Philip Hodgins — Things Happen Things Happen by Philip Hodgins National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/820744 29 April 2024 Susan Lever — The Oxford Book of Australian Women's Verse (edited) Chris Wallace-Crabbe — Selected Poems : 1956–1994 Drama Manny Aston — Fossils Joanna Murray-Smith — Honour Louis Nowra The Incorruptible The Incorruptible by Louis Nowra National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/674573 29 April 2024 Miss Bosnia Austlit — Miss Bosnia by Louis Nowra Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C266470 29 April 2024 David Williamson — Dead White Males Non-fiction Timothy Conigrave — Holding the Man Garfield Barwick — A Radical Tory: Garfield Barwick's Reflections and Recollections Helen Garner — The First Stone Awards and honours Christopher Koch AUS AO "for service to Australian literature as a novelist"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869958 Christopher John Koch honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191226071909/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869958 26 December 2019 2019-12-26 Alexander Stewart Cockburn AUS AM "for service to journalism and literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/883112 Alexander Stewart Cockburn honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191226071912/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/883112 26 December 2019 2019-12-26 Bryce Courtenay AUS AM "for service to advertising and marketing to the community and as an author"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/871132 Arthur Bryce Courtenay honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191226071910/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/871132 26 December 2019 2019-12-26 Mollie Gillen AUS AM "for service to genealogy and to Australian historical research"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/874124 Mollie Gillen honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20190808010818/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/874124 8 August 2019 2019-12-26 Paul Jennings AUS AM "for service to children's literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869821 Paul Arthur Jennings honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191226071911/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869821 26 December 2019 2019-12-26 Frances Margaret McGuire AUS AM "for service to the community and to literature, particularly through the State Library of South Australia"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/872386 Frances Margaret McGuire honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191211231327/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/872386 11 December 2019 2019-12-26 Walter Richard McVitty AUS AM "for service to the arts, particularly as educator and publisher of children's literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869755 Walter Richard McVitty honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191226071912/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869755 26 December 2019 2019-12-26 Maurice Saxby AUS AM "for service to children's literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870367 Henry (Maurice) Saxby honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191226071914/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870367 26 December 2019 2019-12-26 Gavin Souter AUS AM "for service to Australian historical literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870112 Gavin Geoffrey Souter, AM honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191226071910/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870112 26 December 2019 2019-12-26 Donald Wall AUS AM "for service to the recorded history of World war II, particularly the history of the 8th Division and the fate of prisoners of war at Sandakan, Northern Borneo"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/873584 Donald Wall honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191226071912/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/873584 26 December 2019 2019-12-26 Madeleine Ruby Irene Brunato-Arthur AUS OAM "for service to Australian writers, particularly through the Fellowship of Australian Writers in South Australia"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870537 Madeleine Ruby Irene Brunato-Arthur honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191226071913/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870537 26 December 2019 2019-12-26 Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v539?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=12&count=3 12 September 2023 Thomas ShapcottRobert Adamson Patrick White Award Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v617?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents 8 September 2023 22 August 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230822040912/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v617?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents dead Elizabeth Riddell Literary Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award"Word conjuror wins Age award" The Age, 14 December 1995, p3 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2521568600 28 May 2024 2521568600 Chris Wallace-Crabbe Selected Poems : 1956–1994 Oxford University 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/ 10 January 2024 Helen Demidenko The Hand That Signed the Paper Allen & Unwin 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 31 December 2023 Judy Cassab Diaries Random House New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards – Book of the Year Winners of the Premier's 1995 literary awards The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 September 1995, p11 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2527785639 8 May 2024 2527785639 David Horton The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia Aboriginal Studies Press Nita Kibble Literary Award 2009-06-09 Kibble Literary Award https://history.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/ncb/kibble-literary-award 4 February 2024 Australian National University en-AU Drusilla Modjeska The Orchard Pan Macmillan Fiction International Award Category Author Title PublisherCommonwealth Writers' Prize Commonwealth Writers' Prize Regional Winners 1987-2007 Commonwealth Foundation http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/uploads/documents/Regional%20Winners%201987-20071.pdf 17 January 2024 23 October 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20071023223729/http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/uploads/documents/Regional%20Winners%201987-20071.pdf dead Best Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region Tim Winton The Riders Pan Macmillan Best First Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region Adib Khan Seasonal Adjustments Allen & Unwin Best Overall First Novel Adib Khan Seasonal Adjustments Allen & Unwin National Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for LiteratureState Library of South Australia https://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/past-literary-award-winners Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners 18 April 2024 9 March 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20260309180911/https://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/past-literary-award-winners dead Not awarded The Age Book of the Year Award Rod Jones Billy Sunday Picador The Australian/Vogel Literary Award Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1995 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v385?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=24&count=3 16 February 2023 Richard King Kindling Does for Firewood Allen and Unwin Miles Franklin AwardStudent's migrant tale snares Miles Franklin award The Canberra Times, 2 June 1995 https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127528045 7 August 2026 Helen Demidenko The Hand That Signed the Paper Allen and Unwin New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Lily Brett Just Like That Pan Macmillan Victorian Premier's Literary Awards"Prize-winning new author attacks Darville book" The Age, 21 October 1995, p5 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2521525236 12 January 2025 2521525236 Kate Grenville Dark Places Macmillan Western Australian Premier's Book Awards"Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's" University Libraries, University of Washington https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=341672&p=2299464 19 March 2025 Simone Lazaroo The World Waiting to be Made Fremantle Arts Centre Press Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Not awarded The Age Book of the Year Award Chris Wallace-Crabbe Selected Poems : 1956–1994 Oxford University Press Anne Elder Award Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1995-97 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v148?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=24&count=3 12 February 2024 Jennifer Harrison Michelangelo's Prisoners Black Pepper PressGrace Leven Prize for Poetry Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry Prize 1994-2001 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v186?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=9&count=3 12 February 2024 Kevin Hart New and Selected Poems Angus and Robertson Rhyll McMaster Flying the Coop : New and Selected Poems 1972–1994 Heinemann Jemal Sharah Path of Ghosts: Poems 1986–93 Heinemann Mary Gilmore AwardMary Gilmore Award Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/mary-gilmore-award/ 10 February 2024 Aileen Kelly Coming Up for Light Pariah Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Peter Boyle Coming Home From the World Five Islands Press Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Bruce Beaver Anima and Other Poems University of Queensland Press Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Andrew Taylor Sandstone University of Queensland Press Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Children's Not awarded Children's Book of the Year Award"CBCA - Previous Winners - 1946 Onwards" CBCA https://cbca.blob.core.windows.net/documents/National/CBCA%20Awards%201946%20on.pdf 25 August 2025 Older Readers Gillian Rubinstein Foxspell Hyland House Picture Book Gary Crew & Stephen Woolman The Watertower Keystone, Era New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Young People's Literature Jenny Pausacker Mr Enigmatic Reed for Kids Victorian Premier's Prize for Young Adult Fiction Allan Baillie Songman Viking Books Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Children's and YA Glyn Parry Radical Take-offs Allen & Unwin Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1995" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1995 7 August 2025 Best Australian Long Fiction Greg Egan Permutation City Millenium Best Australian Short Fiction Greg Egan "Cocoon" Isaac Asimov's SF Magazine May 1994 Drama Award Category Author TitleNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards FilmScript Jane Kennedy, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch "Playing the Ego Card", FrontlinePlay Michael Gow Sweet Phoebe Hannie Rayson Falling From Grace Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Drama Barry Dickins Remembering Ronald Ryan Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Not awarded The Age Book of the Year Award Tim Flannery The Future Eaters New Holland Publishers New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Drusilla Modjeska The Orchard MacMillan Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Brenda Niall Georgiana: A Biography of Georgiana McCrae, Painter, Diarist, Pioneer Melbourne University Press Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1995 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 13 January — Max Harris (poet), poet, critic, columnist, commentator, publisher and bookseller (born 1921)Snowden Betty Harris, Maxwell Henley (Max) (1921–1995) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harris-maxwell-henley-max-29615 Australian Dictionary of Biography 2023-09-05 Canberra National Centre of Biography, Australian National University en 25 January — Margaret Senior, wildlife and children's illustrator and writer (born 1917 in London)Margaret Senior (1917-1995) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A48467 2024-02-13 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 20 March — Russell Braddon, writer of novels, biographies and TV scripts (born 1921)Starck Nigel Braddon, Russell Reading (1921–1995) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/braddon-russell-reading-19108 Australian Dictionary of Biography 2023-09-05 Canberra National Centre of Biography, Australian National University en 12 May — John Blight, poet (born 1913) Frederick John Blight (1913–1995) by Stephany Evans Steggall Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/blight-frederick-john-21569 1 December 2023 26 June — John Jefferson Bray, lawyer, judge, academic, university administrator, Crown officer and published poet, (born 1912) John Jefferson Bray (1912–1995) by John Emerson Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bray-john-jefferson-23550 25 November 2023 17 July — Robert Close, novelist (died in Majorca, Spain)(born 1903)Robert S. Close (1903-1995) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A33749 2024-02-13 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 7 August — Harold Stewart, poet and oriental scholar (died in Kyoto, Japan)(born 1916)Ackland Michael Harold Frederick Stewart (1916–1995) Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stewart-harold-frederick-29423 2024-02-13 National Centre of Biography, Australian National University en 14 August — Frances Margaret McGuire, writer, biochemist and philanthropist (born 1900)Frances Margaret McGuire (1900-1995) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A11280 2024-02-13 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 18 August — Philip Hodgins, poet (born 1959) Hodgins, Ian Philip (1959–1995) by Chris Wallace-Crabbe Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hodgins-ian-philip-23841 11 July 2023 5 December — Gwen Harwood, poet and librettist (born 1920)Hoddinott Alison Gwendoline Nessie (Gwen) Harwood (1920–1995) Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/harwood-gwendoline-nessie-gwen-22407 2024-02-13 Canberra National Centre of Biography, Australian National University en See also 1995 in Australia 1995 in literature 1995 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature References Category:1995 in Australia Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Category:1995 in literature