1955 in Australian literature explained

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1955.

Books

• Martin Boyd – A Difficult Young Man
• Jon Cleary – Justin Bayard
• Charmian Clift & George Johnston – The Sponge Divers
• Alfred E. Couchman – Fair Field, No Favor
• Dymphna Cusack – The Sun in Exile
• Mary Durack – Keep Him My Country
• Barbara Jefferis – Beloved Lady
• D'Arcy Niland – The Shiralee
• Ruth Park – Pink Flannel
• Colin Roderick – The Lady and the Lawyer
• Nevil Shute – Requiem for a Wren, (aka The Breaking Wave)
• E. V. Timms – They Came from the Sea
• Arthur Upfield – The Battling Prophet
• F. B. Vickers – The Mirage
• Patrick White – The Tree of Man

Short stories

• A. Bertram Chandler – "Late"^[1]
• John Morrison – Black Cargo and Other Stories^[2]
• Vance Palmer – Let the Birds Fly^[3]
• Dal Stivens – Ironbark Bill^[4]

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Patricia Wrightson – The Crooked Snake, illustrated by Margaret Horder

Poetry

See main article: 1955 in poetry.

• Lex Banning – "Apocalypse in Springtime"
• David Campbell – "Here, Under Pear-Trees"
• Rosemary Dobson – Child with a Cockatoo, and Other Poems
• Max Harris – The Coorong and Other Poems
• A. D. Hope – The Wandering Islands
• Nancy Keesing & Douglas Stewart – Australian Bush Ballads (edited)
• Nancy Keesing – Three Men and Sydney
• James McAuley – Australian Poetry 1955
• Roland Robinson
  • "Altjeringa"
  • "Passage of the Swans"
• Vivian Smith – "Portuguese Laurel Flowering"
• Douglas Stewart – The Birdsville Track and Other Poems
• Randolph Stow – "Sea Children"
• Chris Wallace-Crabbe – No Glass Houses
• Judith Wright – The Two Fires

Drama

• Dymphna Cusack – The Golden Girls : A Play in Three Acts^[5]
• Ray Lawler – Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

Biography

• Frank Clune – Martin Cash
• Leonie Kramer – Henry Kingsley : Some Novels of Australian Life^[6]
• Alan Marshall – I Can Jump Puddles

Awards and honours

Poetry

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1955 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 27 March – Linda Jaivin, novelist^[10]
• 28 March – Tony Shillitoe, novelist^[11]
• 8 June – Peter Rose, poet and editor^[12]
• 15 June – Les Wicks, poet and editor^[13]
• 5 August – Christine Harris, writer for children^[14]
• 14 September – Geraldine Brooks, novelist^[15]

Unknown date

• Candida Baker, novelist and anthologist^[16]
• Michael Gerard Bauer, children's and young adult author^[17]
• Adrian Caesar, poet^[18]
• Martin Flanagan, journalist^[19]
• Michael Gow, playwright^[20]
• Jennifer Harrison, poet^[21]
• Gail Jones, novelist^[22]
• Steven Paulsen, sf writer^[23]
• Cory Taylor, writer (died 2016)^[24]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1955 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 19 January – Kenneth Mackenzie, poet and novelist (born 1913)^[25]
• 10 March – Brian Vrepont, poet (born 1882)^[26]
• 1 August – Charles Shaw, journalist and novelist (born 1900)^[27]
• 30 December – Rex Ingamells, poet (born 1913)^[28]

See also

• 1955 in Australia
• 1955 in literature
• 1955 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

Notes and References

1. Web site: "Late" by A. Bertram Chandler . ISFDB. 25 April 2024.
2. Web site: Black Cargo and Other Stories by John Morrison. National Library of Australia. 25 April 2024.
3. Web site: Let the Birds Fly by Vance Palmer. National Library of Australia. 25 April 2024.
4. Web site: Ironbark Bill by Dal Stivens. National Library of Australia. 25 April 2024.
5. Web site: The Golden Girls : A Play in Three Acts by Dymphna Cusack. National Library of Australia. 25 April 2024.
6. Web site: Henry Kingsley : Some Novels of Australian Life by Leonie Kramer. National Library of Australia. 24 April 2024.
7. Web site: ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners . Association for the Study of Australian Literature. 15 April 2024.
8. Web site: Austlit — The First Walkabout by Norman B. Tindale & Harold Arthur Lindsay . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
9. Web site: Austlit — The Wandering Islands by A.D. Hope . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
10. Web site: Austlit — Linda Jaivin . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
11. Web site: Austlit — Tony Shillitoe . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
12. Web site: Austlit — Peter Rose . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
13. Web site: Austlit — Les Wicks . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
14. Web site: Austlit — Christine Harris . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
15. Web site: Austlit — Geraldine Brooks . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
16. Web site: Austlit — Candida Baker . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
17. Web site: Austlit — Michael Gerard Bauer . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
18. Web site: Austlit — Adrian Caesar . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
19. Web site: Austlit — Martin Flanagan . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
20. Web site: Austlit — Michael Gow . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
21. Web site: Austlit — Jennifer Harrison . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
22. Web site: Austlit — Gail Jones . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
23. Web site: Austlit — Steven Paulsen . Austlit. 15 April 2024.
24. Web site: Cory Taylor (1955-2016). 2024-02-14 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
25. Web site: Kenneth Ivo (Seaforth) Mackenzie (1913–1955) by Veronica Brady . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 1 December 2023.
26. Web site: Truebridge, Benjamin Arthur (1882–1955) by Patrick Buckridge . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 11 July 2023.
27. Web site: Austlit — Charles Shaw (1900-1955). Austlit. 21 June 2023.
28. Web site: Reginald Charles (Rex) Ingamells (1913–1955) by John Dally . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 1 December 2023.