Helena Sumner Locke (4 July 1881 – 18 October 1917)[1] was an Australian novelist, dramatist/playwright, poet and short story writer. Her sister was the socialist Lilian Locke.
Born in 1881, she was the sixth daughter of Anglican clergyman Rev. William Locke and Annie (née Seddon), both born in England. She spent the early years of her childhood in Queensland before moving with her family to Melbourne in 1888.[1]
Careeredit
Locke began publishing short stories in such publications as The Bulletin and the Native Companion before her first play, The Vicissitudes of Vivienne, was produced in Melbourne in 1908. This was followed the next year by a Sydney production of A Martyr to Principle, a production she wrote in collaboration with Stanley McKay. She was later described by a Sydney newspaper as being "the first woman dramatist to have a play produced in Australia by a commercial theatrical management". A stage version was also produced in 1917 by Bert Bailey.[2]
The writer's reputation was enhanced by the publication in 1911 of Mum Dawson, 'Boss' , a series of inter-connected comic stories about a back-blocks country woman struggling to maintain her farm and her family, in the vein of Steele Rudd's iconic "Dad Rudd" from Dad and Dave. A stage production was created in 1917 by Bert Bailey. The Examiner described it as having "a strong vein of genuine humour".[3] This was followed a year later by its sequel The Dawsons' Uncle George.
In 1912, Locke left Australia for England to work as a journalist and writer but returned to Australia in 1915 to nurse her sick mother.[1] In 1916, she published her best known work, Samaritan Mary, in the United States. It received favourable reviews there,[1] and "enjoyed a remarkable success".[4]
Locke married a childhood friend, accountant Henry Logan Elliott, in January 1917. He was posted to the front some two weeks later, serving with the First Australian Imperial Force. Locke traveled to America later in 1917 to meet her New York publisher, but was unable to join her husband in Europe due to the closing of the Atlantic crossing.[1] She returned to Australia and gave birth to a son, the playwright, Sumner Locke Elliott, on 17 October 1917. A day later, she died from complications of eclampsia arising from the birth.
On her death, The Leader newspaper described her as "a woman of great vitality and animation, a tireless worker, with much charm of manner and an abundance of humor".[5]
sumner, locke, confused, with, elliott, helena, july, 1881, october, 1917, australian, novelist, dramatist, playwright, poet, short, story, writer, sister, socialist, lilian, locke, 1908bornhelena, 1881, july, 1881sandgate, queensland, australiadied18, october. Not to be confused with Sumner Locke Elliott Helena Sumner Locke 4 July 1881 18 October 1917 1 was an Australian novelist dramatist playwright poet and short story writer Her sister was the socialist Lilian Locke Sumner LockeSumner Locke in 1908BornHelena Sumner Locke 1881 07 04 4 July 1881Sandgate Queensland AustraliaDied18 October 1917 1917 10 18 aged 36 Kogarah New South Wales AustraliaOccupationNovelistdramatistplaywrightpoetshort story writerNotable worksSamaritan MaryRelativesLilian Locke sister Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Works 3 1 Novels 3 2 Drama 3 3 Poetry 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editBorn in 1881 she was the sixth daughter of Anglican clergyman Rev William Locke and Annie nee Seddon both born in England She spent the early years of her childhood in Queensland before moving with her family to Melbourne in 1888 1 Career editLocke began publishing short stories in such publications as The Bulletin and the Native Companion before her first play The Vicissitudes of Vivienne was produced in Melbourne in 1908 This was followed the next year by a Sydney production of A Martyr to Principle a production she wrote in collaboration with Stanley McKay She was later described by a Sydney newspaper as being the first woman dramatist to have a play produced in Australia by a commercial theatrical management A stage version was also produced in 1917 by Bert Bailey 2 The writer s reputation was enhanced by the publication in 1911 of Mum Dawson Boss a series of inter connected comic stories about a back blocks country woman struggling to maintain her farm and her family in the vein of Steele Rudd s iconic Dad Rudd from Dad and Dave A stage production was created in 1917 by Bert Bailey The Examiner described it as having a strong vein of genuine humour 3 This was followed a year later by its sequel The Dawsons Uncle George In 1912 Locke left Australia for England to work as a journalist and writer but returned to Australia in 1915 to nurse her sick mother 1 In 1916 she published her best known work Samaritan Mary in the United States It received favourable reviews there 1 and enjoyed a remarkable success 4 Locke married a childhood friend accountant Henry Logan Elliott in January 1917 He was posted to the front some two weeks later serving with the First Australian Imperial Force Locke traveled to America later in 1917 to meet her New York publisher but was unable to join her husband in Europe due to the closing of the Atlantic crossing 1 She returned to Australia and gave birth to a son the playwright Sumner Locke Elliott on 17 October 1917 A day later she died from complications of eclampsia arising from the birth On her death The Leader newspaper described her as a woman of great vitality and animation a tireless worker with much charm of manner and an abundance of humor 5 Works editNovels edit Mum Dawson Boss 1911 6 The Dawsons Uncle George 1912 7 Skeeter Farm Takes a Spell 1915 illustrated by Lionel Lindsay 1 8 Samaritan Mary 1916 9 Drama edit The Vicissitudes of Vivienne 1908 A Martyr to Principle 1909 written in collaboration with Stanley McKay 1 Mum Dawson Boss 1917 staged by Bert Bailey 1 Poetry edit In Memoriam Sumner Locke 1921 References edit a b c d e f g h Locke Helena Sumner 1881 1917 Australian Dictionary of Biography The Globe and Sunday Times War Pictorial Sumner Locke 15 January 1917 p16 The Examiner Literature Notes on New Books 28 July 1911 p7 Death of Sumner Locke The Sydney Morning Herald 19 October 1917 p8 The Leader An Australian Author 20 October 1917 p50 Locke Sumner Souter D H David Henry 1862 1935 1911 Mum Dawson Boss Bookstall Co retrieved 16 March 2024 a href Template Citation html title Template Citation citation a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Locke Sumner Pearce G C 1921 The Dawsons Uncle George 4th ed N S W Bookstall retrieved 16 March 2024 Locke Sumner Lindsay Lionel Sir 1874 1961 1915 Skeeter Farm takes a spell N S W Bookstall ISBN 978 3 442 42186 2 a href Template Citation html title Template Citation citation a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Locke Sumner Chapin James O 1916 Samaritan Mary Holt retrieved 16 March 2024External links editWorks by or about Sumner Locke at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sumner Locke amp oldid 1214072967, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
