Madman's Island

Madman's Island is a 1927 novel by Ion Idriess set in northern Australia.

Madman's Island

First edition cover design
Author	Ion Idriess
Country	Australia
Language	English
Genre	novel
Publisher	Cornstalk Publishing
Publication date	1927

It was Idriess' first novel and was semi-autobiographical, although he invented the love interest at the insistence of the publisher.^[1][2]

Plot

Jack Burnett decides to go prospecting on an uninhabited island in the Barrier Reef with a friend. The friend goes mad and tries to kill Jack. Jack discovers some opium stashed away by Japanese smugglers. Jack is rescued and sells the opium to a Chinese merchant in Cooktown.

In Cairns, Jack runs into the Japanese smugglers, but manages to escape with the help of a woman he has fallen in love with.^[3]

Background

The book was based on a true incident that happened to Idriess. In 1923 he was marooned on Howick Island in Queensland with a friend he had gone prospecting with. The friend had a war injury which sent him mad and he tried to kill Idriess.^[4]

Idriess kept a diary of his time on the island and used it as the basis for the book. He sold it to a publisher in 1925.^[1][5][6]

Idriess fictionalised the story, including a subplot about opium smuggling.

Reception

The book was not received particularly well.^[7][8]

1938 Edition

Madman's Island

First edition cover design
Author	Ion Idriess
Country	Australia
Language	English
Genre	non-fiction
Publisher	Angus and Robertson
Publication date	1938

Idriess rewrote the book after he had achieved acclaim with his other writings. He removed the fictional elements and instead revised it as a memoir. It was republished in 1938 and was a large success, selling 70,000 copies.^{[1][9][10][11][12]}

Radio Adaptation

 

ABC Weekly 16 August 1941

The novel was serialised for radio in 1941,^[13] the first time one of his books was so adapted,^[14] and on which it was read by Ellis Price.^[15][16][17] It was adapted for radio again in 1949.^[18]

References

1. Interview with Ion Idriess", ABC
2. "Author of Twenty-two Books And Still Going Strong". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 33, 223. New South Wales, Australia. 17 June 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 12 December 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "NEW FICTION". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 27, 898. New South Wales, Australia. 4 June 1927. p. 10. Retrieved 16 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
4. "Marooned". The Telegraph. No. 15, 675. Queensland, Australia. 23 February 1923. p. 6. Retrieved 16 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "MADMAN'S ISLAND". Daily Examiner. Vol. 17, no. 2549. New South Wales, Australia. 4 September 1925. p. 7. Retrieved 16 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "Marooned on Madman's Island". Sunday Mail. No. 445. Queensland, Australia. 30 October 1938. p. 1 (MAGAZINE SECTION). Retrieved 16 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "NEW FICTION". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 4 June 1927. p. 10. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
8. "MADMANS ISLAND". The Cairns Post. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 20 June 1927. p. 9. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
9. "Author of Twenty-two Books And Still Going Strong". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 33, 223. New South Wales, Australia. 17 June 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 28 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
10. "MADMAN'S ISLAND". Kapunda Herald (SA : 1878–1951). SA: National Library of Australia. 16 September 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
11. "BOOK of the WEEK". The Chronicle. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 29 September 1938. p. 55. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
12. "AN AUSTRALIAN STORY". Geraldton Guardian and Express. WA: National Library of Australia. 4 October 1938. p. 1. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
13. "Thrills Pack LIfe: Idriess Was 'Broke' So Took To Pen", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 36 (27), Sydney: Wireless Press, July 5, 1941, nla.obj-721538126, retrieved 12 December 2023 – via Trove
14. "2UE CALLING". The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate. No. 4588. New South Wales, Australia. 13 August 1941. p. 12. Retrieved 12 December 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
15. "2UE CALLING". The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate. No. 4583. New South Wales, Australia. 9 July 1941. p. 12. Retrieved 12 December 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
16. "Radio Gets Its First Idriess Novel "Madman's Island" To Be Read By Ellis Price Next Month", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 36 (26), Sydney: Wireless Press, June 28, 1941, retrieved 12 December 2023 – via Trove
17. "Idriess Stories For Broadcast", The Wireless Weekly: The Hundred per Cent Australian Radio Journal, 35 (48), Sydney: Wireless Press, November 30, 1940, retrieved 12 December 2023 – via Trove
18. "NSW Commercial progammes", ABC Weekly, 11 (3), Sydney, 15 January 1949, retrieved 12 December 2023 – via Trove