Australian Literature Trivia

1. In a gross miscarriage of justice, Rufus Dawes is transported to Australia, charged with a murder he did not commit. Which state was he sent to 'for the term of his natural life'?

From Quiz Which Way Did He Go?

Answer: Tasmania

Marcus Clarke's 'For the Term of His Natural Life' was first serialized in the 'Australian Journal' before appearing as a novel a few years later in 1874. Rufus Dawes, originally a young aristocrat, Richard Devines, is sent to harsh prison settlements at Macquarie Harbour and then Port Arthur. The story recounts his travails and the wrought love he shares with Sylvie. The novel describes the harsh and cruel conditions suffered by Dawes and his fellow convicts and the eventual resolution of the murder charge.

From Quiz Finish the Title: Aussie Novels

Answer: Thief

The main character of this novel is Liesel Meminger, who finds a book in a graveyard following her brother's burial, beginning a life-long love of books, which she has a habit of stealing. This novel has a memorable narrator: death.

From Quiz Wistful Thinking

Answer: A bomb with a lit fuse

Henry Lawson's 'The Loaded Dog' is one of the best loved Australian short stories. It tells the tale of three friends, Dave Regan, Jim Bently and Andy Page, who are living in a mining camp in Stony Creek together with their black retriever, 'an overgrown pup' named Tommy. Now Dave, Andy and Jim have come up with an ingenious method of fishing - they blow up the fish using a canister of explosives. One day this goes awry when Tommy steals one of the canisters and inadvertently lights the fuse on the campfire. Chaos ensues as the hapless friends try and evade a playful Tommy and his lethal toy. Eventually Dave takes refuge in a pub, only to be followed by Tommy, still carrying the canister. However, the pub is also home to a 'vicious yellow mongrel cattle-dog sulking and nursing his nastiness' who meanly relieves Tommy of his possession. The dog then pays the consequence of his actions as the fuse burns down and the canister explodes, killing the dog. Dave and Tommy then head back to camp, with Tommy blithely unaware of the havoc he has wreaked. The story was published as part of the collection 'Joe Wilson and his Mates' in 1901. Considered to be one of Australia's greatest writers and poets, Henry Lawson was born in the Grenfell goldfields of New South Wales in 1867, the son of a Norwegian-born miner and the poet, publisher and feminist, Louise Lawson. As a result of a childhood illness, Lawson was totally deaf by the age of fourteen and turned to reading as a means of furthering his education. His first poem 'A Song for the Republic' was published in 1887. By the time of his death in 1922, he was beloved of Australians and was afforded a New South Wales state funeral.

From Quiz Black and White and Read All Over

Answer: Robbery Under Arms

Along with Captain Starlight and Warrigal, brothers Dick and Jim Marston and their father Ben form a formidable quintet of bushrangers. They are guilty of the typical activities of men of their ilk, such as cattle duffing, horse stealing, mail coach bail ups and bank robbery. Although his skills with handling cattle and as a master horseman, as well as his tracking abilities are well respected by the others, Warrigal is still never completely trusted by any of them. There is a mutual disliking between the Marston brothers and Warrigal, and Ben Marston's opinion is that Warrigal is "worth watching." Even after all his loyalty during their clandestine escapades, Captain Starlight's treatment of Warrigal is, at times, little more than contemptible; "Starlight used to knock him down like a log if he didn't please him." Yet with all the admiration he has for Starlight, Warrigal takes it all in his stride, even to the extent that he is "regular put out once when Starlight hurt his knuckles against his hard skull." But there's no honour amongst thieves as the old adage says and Warrigal eventually turns police informant, leading to the inevitable downfall of himself and the Starlight Gang. Rolf Boldrewood, the pen name of Thomas Alexander Browne, began writing 'Robbery Under Arms' in 1880 and it was printed the following year in serial form in the 'Sydney Mail' newspaper. It was first published in book form in 1888 in three volumes and has become Boldrewood's best known work having been adapted since into a stage play and several films. Although it is a work of fiction, many of the characters and events in the story were inspired by and based upon real Australian bushrangers and their cunning escapades. 'For the Term of His Natural Life' was written by Marcus Clarke in 1870 and follows the story of a convict transported to the penal colony of Van Diemen's Land. Contrary to its title, Peter Carey's 2001 Booker Prize winning 'True History of the Kelly Gang' is a fictionalised account of Australia's most famous bushrangers. 'The Wild Colonial Boy' is a traditional ballad originating in Ireland that has made its way to the antipodes and, with a few changes to the wording, become a popular Australian bush ballad.

From Quiz Write Around Australia

Answer: Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing

Written by Australian crime fiction author Gabrielle Lord, "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" is about a murderer preying on prostitutes in Sydney's Kings Cross. Part of the perpetrator's M.O. (modus operandi) is to pick up a prostitute in his car. The song on the radio at the time of the first-mentioned kidnap was Chris Isaak's "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing". (Question by Parra_Chick)

From Quiz Australian Indigenous Writers

Answer: Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence

The setting of the book "Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence" is Moore River Mission, one of the two major destinations for Western Australian Indigenous children removed from their parents during the Stolen Generation era. The other settlement was south of Perth at Carrolup near Katanning. The book was made into a film titled "Rabbit Proof Fence". Doris's Indigenous name is Nugi Garimara.

From Quiz Australian Poets

Answer: Bullock wagon

"Harry Pearce" 'I sat beside the red stock route And chewed a blade of bitter grass And saw in mirage on the plain A bullock wagon pass. Old Harry Pearce was with his team "The flies are bad", I said to him. The leaders felt his whip. It did Me good to hear Old Harry swear, And in the heat of noon it seemed His bullocks walked on air. Suspended in the amber sky They hauled the wool to Gundagai. He walked in Time across the plain, An old man walking in the air, For years he wandered in my brain; And now he lodges here. And he may drive his cattle still When Time with us has had his will.'

From Quiz Australian Literature

Answer: Trim

Matthew Flinders' cat Trim travelled with him along the east coast of Australia in his vessel "Investigator" and later in 1803, the "Cumberland" to the island of Mauritius. There Flinders was imprisoned for several years by the French, owing to the fact that England was again at war with France and the colony of Mauritius had been claimed by the French in 1715. Flinders was heading for England but the Cumberland was taking in water; fearing his pump would fail on the voyage around the Cape of Good Hope he decided to head to Mauritius for repairs to his boat. Unfortunately for Flinders he was unaware England was again at war with France. This news got to Sydney some two months after Flinders had departed. Trim was allegedly eaten by slaves on the island.

From Quiz Australian Children's Literature

Answer: a rotary fruit peeler

This is a very funny scene. The old man, looking very scared at the prospect of the peeler, is saved by the intervention of the schoolgirl cat-burglar, Leonie.

From Quiz Great Australian Literature

Answer: Bryce Courtenay

Bryce Courtenay's son, Damon, suffered from haemophilia and he acquired AIDS from a tainted blood transfusion. Damon died on April 1, 1991, hence the title. On his official website (http://www.brycecourtenay.com/bryce.asp), Courtenay states "in the countries where it was published, it unequivocally changed the public perception of AIDS". He is very proud of the fact that his book is now compulsory reading in a number of medical schools.

From Quiz Introduction to Australian Literature

Answer: Patrick White

White won in 1973. He was born in the UK, but came to live in Australia when young.

From Quiz Finish the Title: Aussie Novels

Answer: South

First published in 1948, "The Harp in the South" follows the life of the Darcys, an Irish-Australian family living in tough conditions in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills. Ruth Park was originally from New Zealand, but came to Australia in 1948 as a journalist prior to commencing her prolific career as an author.

From Quiz Write Around Australia

Answer: A B 'Banjo' Paterson

Two very different poems, but both are superbly redolent of the outback hard-riding Australian horseman's life. In "The Man From Snowy River", Paterson graphically tells of the ride of a slightly-built horseman with a stock whip who takes off through the bush among other riders after an escaped thoroughbred which has joined a pack of wild horses. His breakneck ride down a steep incline is the stuff of legend. "Clancy Of The Overflow" is the musings of a fellow stuck in a city office, who dearly wishes that he could swap places with his mate Clancy who is droving cattle in Queensland. Paterson's lyricism has a uniquely Australian style. Ironically, his work is known internationally through the much lighter verse, "Waltzing Matilda". (Question by Airmale)

From Quiz Australian Indigenous Writers

Answer: Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Oodgeroo Noonuccal was a tireless worker for Aboriginal Rights. She was awarded an MBE (Member of British Empire) which she later returned as a protest against ongoing injustices against Indigenous Australians. Her poetry includes such works as "We are Going" and "Municipal Gum".

From Quiz Australian Poets

Answer: Vietnam War

Dawe's anti war attitude is strongly expressed in this poem, and deals with the bodies of soldiers being returned to their homelands in "green plastic bags".

From Quiz Name that Australian Book Title

Answer: "My Place"

Sally Morgan wrote this book in 1987. As a child she was told that she was of Indian descent but as she grew older she discovered that, in fact, she and her sister were of Aboriginal descent, from the Palku people of the Pilbara. This is a very moving search for identity. Her second book "Wanamurraganya" was published in 1989. Sally Morgan is also a well recognised aboriginal artist, both in Australia and overseas. The other three books are also autobiographies. "A Fortunate Life" (1981) was written by A.B. Facey and is another extraordinary story covering the early 20th century. "My Brilliant Career" was written by Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin (known as Miles Franklin) in 1899. "From Strength to Strength" (1992) was written by Sarah Henderson about her life in a tin shack in outback Australia.

From Quiz Australian Literature

Answer: Patrick White

Patrick White (1912-1990) received his Nobel Prize in 1973 for his novels depicting Australian life with rural backgrounds. Patrick White was a confessed homosexual and in his autobiography "Flaws in the Glass" mentions about writing as a homosexual in Australia.

From Quiz Australian Children's Literature

Answer: Violet-Anne

"The Web" was short-listed in the Book of the Year Younger Readers category in 1992. It is a touching story of Jenny's relationship with her great-grandmother. A spider plays a pivotal role!

From Quiz Great Australian Literature

Answer: Colleen McCullough

Colleen McCullough is my favourite author. Her first book, "Tim", was made into a film in 1979, starring Mel Gibson as Tim. At this time Gibson was an unknown actor; it was only his second movie role. "The Thorn Birds" was made into a television miniseries in 1983 and won the 1983 Golden Globe Award for best miniseries. According to the Amazon website, it is "the second most-watched miniseries (after "Roots") of all time". The book, despite its popularity, did not earn McCullough any awards.

From Quiz Australian Bush Poetry

Answer: Kirk Douglas

Douglas played Harrison, "...who made his pile when Pardon won the Cup..", a crusty old horseman who tried to keep Tom Burlinson (the 'Man') from joining the chase for "... the colt from old Regret..". Clancy of the Overflow (played by rugged Aussie actor, Jack Thompson) managed to convince the others to let him ride, and the rest, as they say, is history. Another classic piece of literature from A.B. Paterson.

From Quiz Introduction to Australian Literature

Answer: Thomas Keneally

'Chant' is based on a true story in Australian history: the rampage by the Governor brothers.

From Quiz Which Way Did He Go?

Answer: Gold

Arguably the most famous mystery associated with gold in Australia, many prospectors have unsuccessfully sought Lasseter's rich reef of gold. Lasseter spent time with the Aboriginals in the region but this relationship turned sour. As Ion Idriess recounts in 'Lasseter's Last Ride' (1931), their Kurdaitcha man (similar to a witch doctor/traditional medicine man) "pointed the bone at him" and he was then shunned and condemned to be ignored. Lasseter left no maps showing the location of the reef but it is believed to be somewhere close to the border of Northern Territory and Western Australia.

From Quiz Finish the Title: Aussie Novels

Answer: Seven

Turner's "Seven Little Australians" is considered a classic, having been reprinted over 50 times since its original release in 1894. It tells the story of widower Captain Allcott, father of seven children, and the various challenges he faces living in Sydney with his new young wife.

From Quiz Wistful Thinking

Answer: Robbery Under Arms

'Robbery under Arms' was first published as a serial over the period 1882-83 by the 'Sydney Mail' magazine before appearing as a single volume in 1889. Dick Marston is encouraged to write his story a month before he is due to hang for his various crimes. He starts out as a cattle duffer (thief) and soon meets Captain Starlight and Warrigal, his aboriginal offsider. Warrigal rescues the team from jail after they inadvisedly return home for Christmas, and the crime spree escalates to robbing stage coaches. A series of daring crimes and skirmishes with the law lead to a plan to escape to the US. Before they can flee the country, they are betrayed. Starlight and Jim are shot dead and Dick is captured, which leads back to the starting point of the story. In a late reprieve, his sentence is commuted and he eventually marries the sister of his childhood friend, the honest and successful George Storefield and takes on the management of one of George's properties. This book, written by Boldrewood (a pseudonym for Thomas Alexander Browne), is considered an Australian classic and has never been out of print. It shows how minor misdeeds can spiral out of control into major disasters despite the best intentions of the lovable rogues involved.

From Quiz Write Around Australia

Answer: The Secret Of Hanging Rock

"Picnic At Hanging Rock" was authored by Joan Lindsay and first published in 1967. It tells the story of a group of school girls in 1900 that went on an outing to a formation known as "Hanging Rock", from which some never returned. The original version of the book did not reveal what became of the girls, however, in accordance with Lindsay's wishes, the final chapter of the book entitled "The Secret Of Hanging Rock" was published in 1987; this was three years after her death. This chapter offered a mystical ending to the fate of the girls. (Question by emmco)

From Quiz Australian Poets

Answer: We Are Going

Oodgeroo Noonuccal was a writer, painter and activist who served in the Australian Women's Army Service during WW11. She was the first Aboriginal woman to have her writing work published, and she wrote and illustrated several children's books. She died in 1993. "We Are Going" 'They came in to the little town A semi-naked band subdued and silent All that remained of their tribe. They came here to the place of their old bora ground Where now the many white men hurry about like ants. Notice of the estate agent reads: 'Rubbish May Be Tipped Here'. Now it half covers the traces of the old bora ring. 'We are as strangers here now, but the white tribe are the strangers. We belong here, we are of the old ways. We are the corroboree and the bora ground, We are the old ceremonies, the laws of the elders. We are the wonder tales of Dream Time, the tribal legends told. We are the past, the hunts and the laughing games, the wandering camp fires. We are the lightening bolt over Gaphembah Hill Quick and terrible, And the Thunderer after him, that loud fellow. We are the quiet daybreak paling the dark lagoon. We are the shadow-ghosts creeping back as the camp fires burn low. We are nature and the past, all the old ways Gone now and scattered. The scrubs are gone, the hunting and the laughter. The eagle is gone, the emu and the kangaroo are gone from this place. The bora ring is gone. The corroboree is gone. And we are going.'

From Quiz Henry Lawson - Australian Poet and Writer

Answer: The Australian Outback

This poem relates the desolation of the outback, mateship and the equality created by the harsh conditions. Some of the descriptions are amazing e.g. "Where lone Mount Desolation lies, Mounts Dreadful and Despair - 'Tis lost beneath the rainless skies In hopeless deserts there; It spreads nor'-west by No-Man's Land - Where clouds are seldom seen - To where the cattle-stations lie Three hundred miles between."

From Quiz Australian Literature

Answer: A.B. Paterson

Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson was born on 17th February 1864 near Orange N.S.W and died shortly before his 77th birthday on 5th February 1941. Whilst writing verse for the Bulletin it was popular for authors of the late 19th. century to write under a pseudonym. Andrew chose the name of the station racehorse owned by his family "The Banjo" as his "pen name". Perhaps best know for his poem "The Man From Snowy River"; an extract of this poem is included on the ten dollar note.

From Quiz Australian Children's Literature

Answer: "Drac and the Gremlin" and "The Eleventh Hour"

It is unusual for two books to be named joint winners, but it has happened a few times. The voting system is rigid, with 8 judges (one from each state or territory) casting preferential votes and a points system used to determine the outcome. "My Place in Space" was the runner-up (or Honour Book) for that year. "The Very Best of Friends" was the winner the following year, while the remaining 2 books were shortlisted for 1989.

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