1976 in Australian literature explained

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1976.

Major publications

Books

• Robert Drewe – The Savage Crows^[1]
• David Ireland – The Glass Canoe
• Thomas Keneally – Season in Purgatory
• Frank Moorhouse – Conference-Ville^[2]
• Gerald Murnane – A Lifetime on Clouds^[3]
• Christina Stead – Miss Herbert (The Suburban Wife)
• Morris West – The Navigator
• Patrick White – A Fringe of Leaves

Short stories

• Elizabeth Jolley – Five Acre Virgin and Other Stories^[4]
• Dal Stivens – The Unicorn and Other Tales^[5]

Science Fiction and Fantasy

• A. Bertram Chandler – The Way Back^[6]
• Lee Harding
  • The Altered I : An Encounter with Science Fiction (edited)^[7]
  • Beyond Tomorrow (edited)^[8]
  • Future Sanctuary^[9]
• David Lake – Walkers on the Sky^[10]

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Hesba Brinsmead – Under the Silkwood^[11]
• Elyne Mitchell – Son of the Whirlwind^[12]
• Eleanor Spence – The October Child^[13]

Poetry

See main article: 1976 in poetry.

• John Blight – Selected Poems, 1939-1975^[14]
• Geoffrey Lehmann – Selected Poems^[15]
• Les Murray
  • "The Buladelah-Taree Holiday Song Cycle"^[16]
  • Selected Poems: The Vernacular Republic^[17]
• Judith Wright – Fourth Quarter^[18]

Drama

• Dorothy Hewett – The Tatty Hollow Story
• Steve J. Spears – The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin
• Ric Throssell – For Valour (first performed 1960)
• David Williamson
  • The Club
  • A Handful of Friends

Non-fiction

• Donald Horne – Death of the Lucky Country^[19]
• Gavin Souter – Lion and Kangaroo^[20]
• Hugh Stretton – Capitalism, Socialism and the Environment^[21]

Awards and honours

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Christopher Brennan Award^[22]	A. D. Hope
Patrick White Award^[23]	John Blight

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award^[24]	A. D. Hope		Angus & Robertson
	Hugh Stretton	Capitalism, Socialism and the Environment	Cambridge University Press
ALS Gold Medal^[25]	No award
Colin Roderick Award^[26]	Gavin Souter	Lion and Kangaroo	Collins

Fiction

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award	A. D. Hope		Angus & Robertson
Miles Franklin Award^[27]	David Ireland	The Glass Canoe	Macmillan

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers^[28]	Ivan Southall	Fly West	Angus and Robertson
	Picture Book	Dick Roughsey	The Rainbow Serpent	Collins

Non-fiction

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1976 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 26 May — Marieke Hardy, writer^[30]

Unknown date

• Kate Morton, novelist^[31]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1976 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 18 February — Catherine Shepherd, playwright (born 1901)^[32]
• 16 April – Nina Murdoch, poet and biographer (born 1890)^[33]
• 2 June – Lyndall Hadow, short story writer and journalist (born 1903)^[34]
• 6 August — George Farwell, novelist (born 1911)^[35]
• 14 August — James Devaney, novelist (born 1890)^[36]
• 22 August – Ella McFadyen, poet (born 1887)^[37]
• 15 October – James McAuley, poet (born 1917)^[38]
• 23 October – Ian Mudie, poet (born 1911)^[39]

See also

• 1976 in Australia
• 1976 in literature
• 1976 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Savage Crows by Robert Drewe. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
2. Web site: Conference-Ville by Frank Moorhouse. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
3. Web site: A Lifetime on Clouds by Gerald Murnane. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
4. Web site: Five Acre Virgin and Other Stories by Elizabeth Jolley. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
5. Web site: The Unicorn and Other Tales by Dal Stivens. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
6. Web site: The Way Back by A. Bertam Chandler . ISFDB. 15 April 2024.
7. Web site: The Altered I edited by Lee Harding . ISFDB. 15 April 2024.
8. Web site: Beyond Tomorrow edited by Lee Harding . ISFDB. 15 April 2024.
9. Web site: Future Sanctuary by Lee Harding . ISFDB. 15 April 2024.
10. Web site: Walkers on the Sky by David Lake . ISFDB. 15 April 2024.
11. Web site: Under the Silkwood by Hesba Brinsmead. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
12. Web site: Son of the Whirlwind by Elyne Mitchell. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
13. Web site: The October Child by Eleanor Spence. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
14. Web site: Selected Poems, 1939-1975 by John Blight. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
15. Web site: Selected Poems by Geoffrey Lehmann. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
16. Web site: Austlit — "The Buladelah-Taree Holiday Song Cycle" by Less Murray . Austlit. 12 May 2024.
17. Web site: Selected Poems: The Vernacular Republic by Les Murray. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
18. Web site: Fourth Quarter by Judith Wright. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
19. Web site: Death of the Lucky Country by Donald Horne. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
20. Web site: Lion and Kangaroo by Gavin Souter. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
21. Web site: Capitalism, Socialism and the Environment by Hugh Stretton. National Library of Australia. 12 May 2024.
22. Web site: "Poetry prize" . The Canberra Times, 4 March 1976, p3. 13 September 2023.
23. Web site: Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners . Austlit. 22 August 2023.
24. Web site: "'AGE' award to historian, poet" . The Age, 24 November 1976. 12 May 2024. .
25. Web site: ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners . Association for the Study of Australian Literature. 22 August 2023.
26. https://www.jcu.edu.au/foundation-for-australian-literary-studies/colin-roderick-award/previous-winners2 "Colin Roderick Award - Previous Winners", James Cook University
27. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110960462 "Author's third Miles Franklin", The Canberra Times, 3 June 1980, p3
28. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110816752 "1976 children's book awards announced", The Canberra Times, 10 July 1976, p3
29. http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C261137 Austlit - Selected Poems 1939–1975 by John Blight
30. Web site: Austlit — Marieke Hardy . Austlit. 27 September 2023.
31. Web site: Austlit — Kate Morton . Austlit. 27 September 2023.
32. Web site: Shepherd, Catherine (1901–1976) by Gillian Winter . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 23 September 2023.
33. Web site: Murdoch, Madoline (Nina) (1890–1976) by Suzanne Edgar . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 25 June 2023.
34. Web site: Lyndall Hadow (1903-1976). Austlit. 25 June 2023.
35. Web site: George Michell Farwell (1911–1976) by Stuart Inder . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 23 November 2023.
36. Web site: Devaney, James Martin (1890–1976) by M. D. O'Hagan . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 26 August 2023.
37. Web site: McFadyen, Ella May (1887–1976) by Emily Gallagher . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 25 June 2023.
38. Web site: McAuley, James Phillip (1917–1976) by Peter Pierce . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 25 June 2023.
39. Web site: Mudie, Ian Mayelston (1911–1976) by Philip Butterss . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 25 June 2023.