Eleanor Dark
Encyclopedia
Eleanor Dark (26 August 190111 September 1985) was an Australian author whose novels included Prelude to Christopher
(1934) and Return to Coolami (1936), both winners of the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal for literature, and her best known work The Timeless Land
(1941).
and his wife, Eleanor McCulloch O'Reilly. On finishing school and unable to enter university, having failed mathematics, she learnt typing and took a secretarial job. In 1922 she married Dr Eric Payten Dark, a general practitioner who wrote books, articles and pamphlets on politics and medicine. Dr Eric Payten Dark (1889–1987) was an active member of the Labor left in New South Wales, was involved in contemporary political debate and was a committed socialist, although never a member of the Communist Party
. His books include The World Against Russia and Who are the Reds. They lived in Katoomba, New South Wales, where Eleanor wrote eight of her ten novels, including short stories and articles.
In the 50s the Darks bought a farm in Queensland where they spent part of the year for seven years. Eleanor wrote her last published work, Lantana Lane at the farm. Their son Michael had also moved to Queensland where he eventually married and had two daughters. The move to Queensland has, by some, been associated with the desire to escape a growing sense of persecution and isolation within the Katoomba community due to growing attacks on members of Left wing parties in the press and by the Menzies
Government. Dr Dark's political writing and involvement in Left wing circles attracted attention from anti communist elements within the Menzies Government and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO
). Like many writers and social commentators of the time, who were critical of Menzies or were Left wing, it is certain that the Darks were under surveillance. This surveillance extended to Eric Dark's first son from his first marriage, John Dark, and possibly to his second son with Eleanor, Michael Dark.
The Darks' second son, Michael, inherited the family home 'Varuna' in Katoomba, which in 1988 was turned into a writers' centre, managed by the Eleanor Dark Foundation, of which Michael Dark remains President. The centre has retained its name, and is known as Varuna – The Writers' House.
Eleanor Dark's best known work is The Timeless Land
(1941), the first part of a trilogy, with Storm of Time (1948) and No Barrier (1953).
She died in 1985, aged 84.
Prelude to Christopher
Prelude to Christopher is a 1934 novella by Eleanor Dark . Dark was awarded the ALS Gold Medal for Prelude to Christopher. The storyline is nonlinear and of interest to those interested in the establishment of modernism in the arts in Australia. The story centers around a Eugenicist experiment...
(1934) and Return to Coolami (1936), both winners of the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal for literature, and her best known work The Timeless Land
The Timeless Land
The Timeless Land is a work of historical fiction by Eleanor Dark . The novel The Timeless Land is the first of The Timeless Land trilogy of novels about European settlement and exploration of Australia....
(1941).
Life and career
Eleanor Dark was born in Sydney. She was the second of three children born to the poet, writer and parliamentarian, Dowell Philip O'ReillyDowell Philip O'Reilly
Dowell Philip O'Reilly was an Australian poet, short story writer and politician.-Early life:O'Reilly was born at Sydney. His father, Rev. Thomas O'Reilly, was a well known clergyman of the Church of England, who came of a family with many military and naval associations...
and his wife, Eleanor McCulloch O'Reilly. On finishing school and unable to enter university, having failed mathematics, she learnt typing and took a secretarial job. In 1922 she married Dr Eric Payten Dark, a general practitioner who wrote books, articles and pamphlets on politics and medicine. Dr Eric Payten Dark (1889–1987) was an active member of the Labor left in New South Wales, was involved in contemporary political debate and was a committed socialist, although never a member of the Communist Party
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
. His books include The World Against Russia and Who are the Reds. They lived in Katoomba, New South Wales, where Eleanor wrote eight of her ten novels, including short stories and articles.
In the 50s the Darks bought a farm in Queensland where they spent part of the year for seven years. Eleanor wrote her last published work, Lantana Lane at the farm. Their son Michael had also moved to Queensland where he eventually married and had two daughters. The move to Queensland has, by some, been associated with the desire to escape a growing sense of persecution and isolation within the Katoomba community due to growing attacks on members of Left wing parties in the press and by the Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
Government. Dr Dark's political writing and involvement in Left wing circles attracted attention from anti communist elements within the Menzies Government and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is Australia's national security service, which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically-motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and...
). Like many writers and social commentators of the time, who were critical of Menzies or were Left wing, it is certain that the Darks were under surveillance. This surveillance extended to Eric Dark's first son from his first marriage, John Dark, and possibly to his second son with Eleanor, Michael Dark.
The Darks' second son, Michael, inherited the family home 'Varuna' in Katoomba, which in 1988 was turned into a writers' centre, managed by the Eleanor Dark Foundation, of which Michael Dark remains President. The centre has retained its name, and is known as Varuna – The Writers' House.
Eleanor Dark's best known work is The Timeless Land
The Timeless Land
The Timeless Land is a work of historical fiction by Eleanor Dark . The novel The Timeless Land is the first of The Timeless Land trilogy of novels about European settlement and exploration of Australia....
(1941), the first part of a trilogy, with Storm of Time (1948) and No Barrier (1953).
She died in 1985, aged 84.
Works
Novels- Slow Dawning (1932)
- Prelude to ChristopherPrelude to ChristopherPrelude to Christopher is a 1934 novella by Eleanor Dark . Dark was awarded the ALS Gold Medal for Prelude to Christopher. The storyline is nonlinear and of interest to those interested in the establishment of modernism in the arts in Australia. The story centers around a Eugenicist experiment...
(1934) - Return to Coolami (1936)
- Sun Across the Sky (1937)
- Waterway. (1938)
- The Little Company (1945)
- The Timeless LandThe Timeless LandThe Timeless Land is a work of historical fiction by Eleanor Dark . The novel The Timeless Land is the first of The Timeless Land trilogy of novels about European settlement and exploration of Australia....
(1941) - Storm of Time (1948)
- No Barrier (1953)
- Lantana Lane (1959)
External links
- Coote, William (2005) "Eleanor Dark's Slow dawning: a woman in rural practice in the 1920s", Medical Journal of Australia online Accessed: 2007-12-09
- From an unfinished novel by Eleanor Dark
- http://www.library.unsw.edu.au/~thesis/adt-NUN/public/adt-NUN20060220.110307/index.htmlNoble, Jenny Austin (2005) Representations of the mother-figure in the novels of Katharine Susannah Prichard and Eleanor Dark (Thesis at the University of New South WalesUniversity of New South WalesThe University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
)] - Varuna: The Writers House