J. M. (John Mews) Harcourt
Encyclopedia
John Mews Harcourt commonly known as J. M. Harcourt, was an Australia
n writer.
, Victoria
, Harcourt attended Wesley College
before leaving home in 1916. He joined his father on the West Australian Goldfields
and worked as an assistant surveyor
in Kalgoorlie. In his 20s he went to Perth
to become a writer. He went to Broome
hoping to make enough money as a pearler to support his writing. After two years he found a pearl: his share of the £13,000 value was £2000. He returned to Perth and began work as a journalist
, while still writing fiction. In 1934 he published his second novel, Upsurge
, which became the first novel to be banned by the-then Commonwealth Book Censorship Board and the first to be prosecuted by police in Australia. In 1946 Harcourt retired to build mud-brick houses in Melbourne, and later shifted to New South Wales where he died in 1971.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n writer.
Life
Born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Harcourt attended Wesley College
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
before leaving home in 1916. He joined his father on the West Australian Goldfields
Western Australian gold rush
In the latter part of the nineteenth century, discoveries of gold at a number of locations in Western Australia caused large influxes of prospectors from overseas and interstate, and classic gold rushes. Significant finds included:...
and worked as an assistant surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
in Kalgoorlie. In his 20s he went to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to become a writer. He went to Broome
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
hoping to make enough money as a pearler to support his writing. After two years he found a pearl: his share of the £13,000 value was £2000. He returned to Perth and began work as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, while still writing fiction. In 1934 he published his second novel, Upsurge
Upsurge
Upsurge is a novel by Australian writer J. M. Harcourt. Set in Perth, Western Australia, during the Great Depression, it was the first novel to be banned by the-then Commonwealth Book Censorship Board and the first to be prosecuted by police in Australia...
, which became the first novel to be banned by the-then Commonwealth Book Censorship Board and the first to be prosecuted by police in Australia. In 1946 Harcourt retired to build mud-brick houses in Melbourne, and later shifted to New South Wales where he died in 1971.