1928 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1928.

Books

• Martin Boyd – The Montforts (aka The Madeleine Heritage)
• Bernard Cronin
  • Bracken
  • Dragonfly
• Jean Devanny – Dawn Beloved
• Mabel Forrest – Reaping Roses
• Miles Franklin – Up the Country
• Jack McLaren – Sun Man
• Vance Palmer – The Man Hamilton
• Katharine Susannah Prichard – Coonardoo
• Alice Grant Rosman
  • The Back Seat Driver
  • The Window
• Nevil Shute – So Disdained
• Arthur W. Upfield – The House of Cain

Short stories

• Nettie Palmer – "An Australian Story-Book" (edited)
• Katharine Susannah Prichard
  • "The Cow"
  • "White Kid Gloves"

Poetry

Main article: 1928 in poetry

• John Le Gay Brereton – Swags Up!
• George Essex Evans – The Collected Verse of G. Essex Evans
• Leon Gellert
  • "At Anzac"
  • "Rendezvous"
• Mary Gilmore – "The Gordon Fox!"
• Kenneth Slessor
  • "The All-Night Taxi Stand"
  • "Choker's Lane"
  • "Earth-Visitors"
  • "Up in Mabel's Room"

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Ethel Turner – Judy and Punch
• Lilian Turner – Ann Chooses Glory

Awards and honours

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal^[1]	Martin Boyd	The Montforts	Constable
The Bulletin Prize	M. Barnard Eldershaw	A House is Built
The Bulletin Prize	Katharine Susannah Prichard	Coonardoo

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1928 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 8 February – Elizabeth Harrower, novelist (died 2020)^[2]
• 14 February – Bruce Beaver, poet (died 2004)^[3]
• 13 March – Bob Brissenden, poet, novelist, critic and academic (died 1991)^[4]
• 5 May – Kit Denton, novelist (died 1997)^[5]
• 18 June – Michael Blakemore, actor, writer and theatre director (died 2023)^[6]
• 21 October – Eleanor Spence, writer for children (died 2008)^[7]

Unknown date

• Anne Fairbairn, poet, journalist and expert in Arab culture (died 2018)^[8]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1928 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 5 February – David McKee Wright, poet (born 1869)^[9]
• 19 August – Thomas William Heney, journalist and poet (born 1862)^[10]

See also

• 1928 in Australia
• 1928 in literature
• 1928 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

References

1. "Australian Literature Society" The Age, 8 October 1929, p13
2. "Obituary - Elizabeth Harrower - Obituaries Australia". oa.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
3. "Bruce Beaver". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
4. Brooks, David (2014). "'Brissenden, Robert Francis (Bob) (1928–1991)". Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
5. "Kit Denton". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
6. "Director Michael Blakemore Dies at 95". Playbill. 2023-12-13.
7. "Eleanor Spence". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
8. Ahmad, Zia (25 October 2018). "Anne Fairbairn passed away". AMUST – Australasian Muslim Times. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
9. "Wright, David McKee (1869–1928) by Michael Sharkey". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
10. Stewart, Ken, "Heney, Thomas William (1862–1928)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2023-07-08