Write, Rite, Right
An Historical Perspective of Western Australian Children's Literature
More than one hundred and fifty years of Western Australia's literary history was celebrated in the exhibition, Write, Right, Rite on the Edge: An Historical Perspective of Western Australian Children's Literature which was held in the Centre for the Book in the Alexander Library Building. The main title of the exhibition was taken from the theme for the Sixth National Conference of the Children's Book Council of Australia which was held in Perth from 3 - 6 May 2002. Shaun Tan's illustrations of the two numbats was the official logo for Conference.
Items on display were from the Research Collection of Children's Literature and the J S Battye Library of West Australian History.
FROM "BUSH LUCK" TO "BILL BALLIE"
The two earliest, and most notable, Western Australian settler novels written for adolescents were Harry Treverton: His Tramps and Troubles (1889) and Bush Luck: an Australian Story (1892) by W.H. Timperley, Superintendent of the Aboriginal prison on Rottnest Island in the late 1880s. Based on Timperley's own experiences as a young man in the Swan River Colony, they were written for a young British readership and encouraged those with a thirst for adventure, and a will to work hard, to migrate and try their "bush luck". Both stories were first serialized in the popular English periodical The Boy's Own Paper. Copies of the illustrated covers of the serialized story, Harry Treverton: A Story of Colonial Life (1887) dramatically illustrate the threats and hardships of early settler life. Authorship in the periodical was incorrectly attributed to Lady Broome, wife of the governor of the colony at the time, who had provided the author with editorial assistance. The letter which she wrote to Timperley in which she suggested likely reasons for the mistake was published in the The West Australian newspaper on 23 February 1888, and has been reproduced for the exhibition
One of the earliest books to authentically depict the unique beauty of the West Australian bush was Bill Baillie, His Life and Adventures (1908), by Rowan Ellis, who was to become one of Australia's most prominent botanical illustrators. In this charming book, she gave a delightful account of the escape of her treasured pet bilboa in the Goldfields area which she knew and loved.
ON THE WESTERN EDGE
Situated on the western edge of the continent, Western Australia provided a dramatic setting for the early adolescent novel.
Favenc's Marooned On Australia (1896) was loosely based on the seventeenth century Dutch shipwreck of the Batavia on the Abrolhos Islands off the west coast. It provided a graphic description of the massacre and an imaginative account of the marooning of two of the Dutch mutineers on the mainland and the hardships they endured.
The romance of the search for gold in the outback was described by Alexander Macdonald in The Lost Explorers: a Story of the Trackless Desert (1907) and The Hidden Nugget (1910) where he combined his usual mixture of mystery, adventure, suspense and intricate plot.
RIGHT FOR CHILDREN
Fantasy and illustration were used by early West Australian creators of children's books to convey their messages to children about desirable behaviour. The endearing bush fantasy creatures of the writer-illustrator, May Gibbs, first appeared in her early books published in successive years, Gumnut Babies (1916), Gum Blossom Babies (1917), Wattle Babies (1918) and Boronia Babies(1919). These creations had germinated in her imagination during her childhood and early formative years spent on a farm near Harvey, and later by the river in South Perth.
THE DREAMING ON PAPER
The rites and Dreamtime stories of indigenous West Australians reflect their close relationship with the land. The vibrant colours of the Outback and coastal environments in these illustrated books are striking.
Joe Nangan's Dreaming: Aboriginal legends of the North-West (1976), was one of the first books by an indigenous Western Australian who recorded and illustrated the legends of his own country.
Other minor displays in the exhibition included a selection of works by the prolific, WA born author, Leslie Rees, award-winning Western Australian books, and a display of contemporary adolescent literature.
The creative process was reflected in original materials which included the donated personal papers and research notes of authors such as Paul Buddy, Carolyn Logan, Elaine Forrestal and Glyn Parry, and original illustrations by Robert Juniper.
Background Reading:
Bradford, Clare.
Reading race: Aboriginality in Australian children's literature.
Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 2001.
Buick, Barbara.
'Western Australian Branch.' A chapter in The Children's Book Council in Australia, 1945-1980 / compiled and arranged by Eve Pownall.
Curtin: Reading Time, c1980.
Buick, Barbara and Walker, Maxine.
'Books for children.' A chapter in The Literature of Western Australia / editor: Bruce Bennett.
Nedlands, W.A.: University of Western Australia Press for the Education Committee of the 150th Anniversary Celebrations, 1979.
Gregg, Alison, et al.
'Western Australian Branch.' A chapter in Celebrate with stories: the Children's Book Council of Australia 1945-1995 / compiled and edited by June Smith & Margaret Hamilton. Hunters Hill, NSW: Margaret Hamilton Books, 1995.
Hay, John.
'Literature and society' in A New history of Western Australia / edited by C.T. Stannage. Nedlands, W.A : University of Western Australia Press, 1981.
Lees, Stella.
The Oxford companion to Australian children's literature / Stella Lees and Pam Macintyre. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Muir, Marcie.
Australian children's books: a bibliography. [New ed.]
Carlton South, Vic.: Melbourne University Press, 1992.
Muir, Marcie.
A history of Australian children's book illustration.
Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1982.
Niall, Brenda.
Australia through the looking-glass: children's fiction 1830- 1980 / Brenda Niall ; assisted by Frances O'Neill.
Carlton, Vic : Melbourne University Press, 1984.
Nimon, Maureen.
The adolescent novel: Australian perspectives / by Maureen Nimon and John Foster. Wagga Wagga, N.S.W. : Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, 1997.
Prentice, Jeffrey.
A guide to Australian children's literature / by Jeffrey Prentice & Bronwen Bennett.
Port Melbourne: D.W.Thorpe, 1992.
Saxby, H. M.
Offered to children: a history of Australian children's literature 1841-1941.
Sydney: Scholastic, 1998.
Voices of the other: children's literature and the postcolonial context / [edited by] Roderick McGillis.
New York; Garland, 1999.
Page last updated: Sunday 10 January 2010
