- Herb Wharton
Herb Wharton (born 1936) is an
Indigenous Australian formerstockman and now internationally recognisedpoet andnovelist .A Murri man, his maternal grandmother was
Kooma , and both grandfathers Irish. [cite web
title =Profile: Herb Wharton
publisher =Australia Council
url =http://www.ozco.gov.au/arts_in_australia/artists/artists_atsia/herb_wharton/
accessdate = 2007-02-01] He was born inYumba , an Aboriginal camp in the south-westernQueensland town of Cunnamulla.Wharton has worked as a
stockman , adrover and alabourer , but did not begin his writing career until in the 1980s, when he was around 50, he sat down under a tree and began to write. Through his writing he tried to answer questions about his people's past.Eventually Wharton considered publishing his writing and, after buying an
electric typewriter with a grant from theAustralia Council for the Arts , he wrote his first book of poems, "Kings with Empty Pockets".In 1990 Wharton entered some of his poems in the David Unaipon Award for unpublished Indigenous writers. His work was highly commended, and the
University of Queensland Press commissioned him to write a novel. The resulting novel, "Unbranded", published in 1992, relates his experiences on thestock route s of the Australianoutback . This was followed by "Cattle Camp" in 1994, "Where ya' been, mate?" in 1996, and by the young adult novel "Yumba Days" in 1999. Herb recently finished a first draft of a novel called "The Munta and the Mob".In 1998 Wharton participated in an international book promotion tour of
France and theUK , and won a residency at the Australia Council studio at theCité Internationale des Arts inParis . When not travelling internationally to attendliterary festival s he lives inBrisbane and now writes full-time.Wharton is also been made a member of the
Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame in Longreach.A second volume of poetry, "Imba (Listen): Tell You A Story" has been published. In each of his books of poetry, a
glossary is included to assist readers understand all the Murri language words (Murrayisms), he uses throughout his writing.Works
Novels
* "Unbranded" (UQP , 1992) ISBN 0702224448
* "Yumba Days" (UQP , 1999) ISBN 9780702231131Short stories
* "Cattle Camp: Murri Drovers and their Stories" (UQP , 1994)
* "Where Ya Been Mate? (1996) Poetry
* "Kings With Empty Pockets" (2003) ISBN 0-0581883-4-3 [http://www.abc.net.au/message/blackarts/review/s1077317.htm Review]
* "Imba (Listen): Tell You a Story" (2003) ISBN 0958188335References
Persondata
NAME=Wharton, Herb
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=ContemporaryIndigenous Australian poet andnovelist
DATE OF BIRTH=1936
PLACE OF BIRTH=Cunnamulla, Queensland ,Australia
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=
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