Grace Ethel Martyr Explained

Grace Ethel Martyr
Birth Date:1888
Birth Place:Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Death Place:Quarry Hill, Victoria, Australia

Grace Ethel Martyr (1888 – 22 December 1934) was an Australian poet, short story writer and journalist. She often wrote as Ethel Martyr.

Early life and education

Grace Ethel Martyr was born in Ballarat, Victoria in 1888, the only daughter of Grace Flora (née King) and James Kent Martyr and grew up in Maldon.[1] In mid-1906 she passed the University of Melbourne matriculation examination.[2]

Career

Her father worked for the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac) throughout his career and Martyr joined that bank as a clerk for four and half years. She was forced to leave due to ill health. While at the bank, she had a book of poems, Afterwards and other verses, published by the Australasian Authors' Agency.

She won several prizes at the South Street Literary Awards in Ballarat; in 1918 for best patriotic poem[3] and in 1919 for best original poem.[4] In 1920 she came second to David McKee Wright in a field of 125 entries for best patriotic poem.[5]

She worked for The Bendigo Advertiser as women's editor and also ran the children's page, remaining on the job until the week before her death.

She wrote many poems which were published in The Australasian,[6] The Bulletin, Australian Woman's Mirror, The Herald and Weekly Times. Her short stories appeared in The Australasian and other newspapers; she wrote 11 stories which were serialised, including one published posthumously.[7]

Journalist and poet, Zora Cross, writing as Bernice May, considered that Martyr and Tasmanian Hilda Bridges created "the most lovable and delightful small girls in our Australian literature today".

Martyr wrote song lyrics which Margaret Sutherland set to music, including Songs for Children, (1929) and "Two blue slippers for children's voices" (1936). She also collaborated with musician William James, creating material for radio programs for children.

Selected works

Poetry

Serialised stories

Death and legacy

Martyr died at Quarry Hill, near Bendigo in Victoria on 22 December 1934. There is no record of a marriage,[18] although she was engaged to Lindsay Webb in 1911.[19] Predeceased by her father in 1931,[20] she was survived by her mother, who died in 1945.[21]

In August 1935, during a service at St Paul's Church, a cross was dedicated by the Anglican bishop of Bendigo to her memory.[22]

Five of her poems were included in Michael Sharkey's 2018 anthology, Many such as she: Victorian women poets of World War One.[23]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Grace Ethel Martyr. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220211/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A35660. 11 February 2022. 2022-02-11. AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. en.
  2. News: 19 June 1906. Matriculation. 51. 3. The Ballarat Star. 15635. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  3. News: 25 December 1918. South Street Competitions. CIX. 6 (Daily). The Ballarat Courier. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  4. News: 20 December 1919. South Street Literary Awards. 20. The Argus (Melbourne). 22,897. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  5. News: 25 May 1920. Sonnet of Welcome. 1. The Herald. 13,791. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  6. Web site: Grace Ethel Martyr poetry. 2022-02-12. trove.nla.gov.au.
  7. News: Martyr. Ethel. 22 May 1937. The Threshold. 56 (First Edition). Weekly Times. 3634. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  8. News: Martyr. Ethel. 18 April 1925. Young Folks: Young Jimmy. 52. Weekly Times. 2903. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  9. News: Martyr. Ethel. 22 August 1925. The Tenby Children. CXIX. 62. The Australasian. 3,099. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  10. News: Martyr. Ethel. 4 September 1926. Four Little Girls. CXXI. 68 (Metroppolitan Edition). The Australasian. 4,053. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  11. News: Martyr. Ethel. 24 September 1927. Cinderella: A Tale of Treasure. CXXIII. 80. The Australasian. 4,107. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  12. News: Martyr. Ethel. 1 November 1928. Chums at Wunnamurra. 56. The Queenslander. Queensland, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  13. News: Martyr. Ethel. 17 November 1928. John and Judy. CXXV. 64. The Australasian. 4,167. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  14. News: Martyr. Ethel. 15 February 1930. The Apple Tree. CXXVIII. 51 (Metropolitan Edition). The Australasian. 4,232. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  15. News: Martyr. Ethel. 15 February 1930. Our New Serial: Green Timber. 42. Weekly Times. 3255. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  16. News: Martyr. Ethel. 26 March 1932. Serial Story: Fairy Gold. CXXXII. 43. The Australasian. 4,342. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  17. News: Martyr. Ethel. 11 February 1933. Serial Story: The Happy Island. CXXXIV. 46. The Australasian. 4,388. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  18. News: 29 December 1934. Literary Notes. CXXXVII. 6 (Metropolitan Edition). The Australasian. 4,486. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  19. News: 4 May 1911. Family Notices. 7. Table Talk. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  20. News: 20 July 1931. Family Notices. 1. The Argus (Melbourne). 26,498. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  21. News: 10 September 1945. Family Notices. 8. The Age. 28,200. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  22. News: 26 August 1935. Bendigo and District. 3. The Argus (Melbourne). 27,774. Victoria, Australia. National Library of Australia. 12 February 2022.
  23. Book: Many such as she: Victorian Australian women poets of World War One. Walleah Press. 2018. 978-1-877010-87-3. Sharkey. Michael. Hobart, Tasmania. 2022-02-12.

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