George Darrell Explained

George Frederick Price Darrell (1851–1921) was an Australian playwright best known for The Sunny South (1883), which was made into a film The Sunny South or The Whirlwind of Fate.^[1] Darrell began his professional career with Simonsen's Opera Company in New Zealand; but, on migrating to Melbourne, took to the regular dramatic profession, earning some distinction as a juvenile supporter of the once idolised Walter Montgomery. He married Mrs. Robert Heir (née Fanny Cathcart), the admirable tragédienne, and subsequently visited professionally America and England, where, at the Grand Theatre, Islington, he produced his play The Sunny South.

His last play, The Land of Gold was staged by Charles Holloway at the Criterion Theatre, Sydney in 1907.^[2]

In 1878 he formed the "Australian Dramatic Company",^[3] which name was subsequently used by Alfred Dampier, but the connection between the two, if any, has not been found.

Darrell's body was washed ashore at Dee Why on 29 January 1921. He had died by drowning, found to be suicide as evidenced by the note he left for his landlady, Mrs Barnet.^[4]

As a playwright his name has been confused with that of Charles Darrell, author of When London Sleeps,^[5] The Power and the Glory^[6] and Defender of the Faith.^[7]

Select writings

• Man and Wife (1871)
• Matrimonial Manoeuvres (1872)
• Dark Deeds (1873)
• Friends of the Flag ; Or, The Struggle for Freedom (1874)
• Her Face, Her Fortune (1874)
• The Trump Card (1874)
• The Four Fetes (1875)
• Transported for Life (1876)
• Back from the Grave (1878)
• The Forlorn Hope ; or, A Tale of Tomorrow (1879)
• Solange (1882)
• The Naked Truth (1883)
• The Sunny South (1883)
• The Squatter (1885)^[8]
• The Soggarth (1886)
• The New Rush (1886)
• Hue and Cry (1888)
• The Mystery of a Hansom Cab aka Midnight Melbourne (1888) – stage version of the Fergus Hume novel The Mystery of a Hansom Cab
• The Queen of Bohemia (1888)
• The Pakeha (1890)
• Mr Potter of Texas (1890)
• The Lucky Lot (1890)
• The Double Event (1893)
• The Crimson Thread (1894)
• Convict Once (1896)
• The Land of Dawning (1896)
• The Queen of Coolgardie (1897)
• The Sorrows of Satan (1897)
• The Light That Failed (1899)
• The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (1899)
• The Punter (1902)
• Sappho (1902)
• Justice or Murder (1902)
• Paris and Pleasure (1904)
• The Battle and the Breeze (1905)
• The Belle of the Bush (1916) – novel

External links

• George Darrell at AusLit
• George Darrell at State Library of New South Wales

Notes and References

1. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/darrell-george-frederick-price-3369 'Darrell, George Frederick Price (1851–1921)'
2. News: Criterion — "Land of Gold" . . 1140 . New South Wales, Australia . 24 November 1907 . 25 July 2021 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
3. News: Important Victorian News. . . 3443 . New South Wales, Australia . 29 July 1878 . 11 June 2021 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
4. News: George Darrell's Death . . 1770 . New South Wales, Australia . 9 February 1921 . 25 July 2021 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
5. News: The Stage . . LXI . 1352 . Queensland, Australia . 19 October 1901 . 25 July 2021 . 771 (Unknown) . National Library of Australia.
6. News: Evening Entertainments . . LVI . 13,138 . Queensland, Australia . 20 February 1900 . 25 July 2021 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
7. News: Music and Drama. . . XLIX . 1,256 . Queensland, Australia . 19 January 1900 . 25 July 2021 . 31 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: Mr George Darrell . . XXXVII . Victoria, Australia . 23 June 1885 . 13 August 2021 . 2 . National Library of Australia.