This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1950.
Books James Aldridge – The Hunter Jon Cleary – Just Let Me Be Miles Franklin – Prelude to Waking Catherine Gaskin All Else is Folly Dust in the Sunlight Frank Hardy – Power Without Glory Ion Idriess – The Wild White Man of Badu Norman Lindsay – Dust or Polish? Philip Lindsay – There is No Escape Katharine Susannah Prichard – Winged Seeds Nevil Shute – A Town Like Alice F. J. Thwaites – Oasis of Shalimar E. V. Timms – The Beckoning Shore
Short stories Nancy Cato – "The Trap" Alan Marshall – "Street Scene at Midday" John Morrison – "The Children" Dal Stivens – "The Batting Wizard from the City" Judah Waten "Mother" "Uncle Isaac"
Children's and Young Adult fiction Ivan Southall – Meet Simon Black Ruth C. Williams – Verity of Sydney Town
Crime and mystery
Alec Coppel – Mr. Denning Drives North Arthur Upfield The Bachelors of Broken Hill The Widows of Broome
Poetry
David Campbell "Ariel" "Night Sowing" "Who Points the Swallow" Nancy Cato The Darkened Window : Poems "Mallee Farmer" C.J. Dennis & Alec H. Chisholm – Selected Verse of C. J. Dennis Rosemary Dobson "The Bystander" "The Raising of the Dead" Dorothy Hewett "Go Down Red Roses" "In Midland Where the Trains Go By" "Once I Rode With Clancy..." Jack Lindsay – Peace is Our Answer Vance Palmer & Margaret Sutherland – Old Australian Bush Ballads Roland Robinson "The Coal" "Deserted Homestead" Douglas Stewart – "Helmet Orchid" Francis Webb – "Morgan's Country" Judith Wright "The Cedars" "The Cicadas" "Legend" "To a Child"
Drama Kylie Tennant – Tether a Dragon Musette Morell – Ten Puppet Plays
Biography Don Bradman – Farewell to Cricket Nettie Palmer – Henry Handel Richardson : A Study
Non-fiction Arthur Groom – I Saw A Strange Land: Journeys in Central Australia
Awards and honours
Literary Award Author Title Publisher ALS Gold MedalThe Cambridge Companion to Australian Literature p129 Jon Cleary Just Let Me Be Werner Laurie
Children's and Young Adult Award Category Author Title Publisher Children's Book of the Year Award"New Book Wins Council Award", Truth, 30 June 1950, p44 Older Readers Alan J. Villiers, illustrated by Charles Pont Whalers of the Midnight Sun Angus and Robertson
Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Not awarded
Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1950 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
15 January – Peter Pierce, academic, editor and critic (died 2018) 16 January – Brian Castro, novelist 24 March – Andrea Goldsmith, novelist 26 July – Terry Denton, children's writer and illustrator (died 2026) 8 August – Philip Salom, poet and novelist 1 September – John Forbes, poet (died 1998) 6 September – Robyn Davidson, travel writer 27 September – John Marsden, writer and teacher (died 2024) 14 October – Kate Grenville, novelist 25 November – Alexis Wright, novelist 12 December – Louis Nowra, playwright 22 December – Nick Enright, playwright (died 2003)
Unknown date Heather Goodall, historian (died 2026) Ian Irvine, novelist Andrew Sant, poet Carole Wilkinson, writer for children
Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1950 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
10 August – Peter Airey, poet and politician (born 1865) 20 November – Erle Cox, novelist (born 1873)
See also 1950 in Australia 1950 in literature 1950 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature
References