Eleanor Dark

Eleanor Dark (née O'Reilly) (26 August 1901—11 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. [ [http://nla.gov.au/nla.ms-ms4998 Papers of Eleanor Dark (1901 - 1985)] at the National Library of Australia]

Life and career

Eleanor Dark was born in Sydney, New South Wales. She was the second of three children born to the poet, writer and parliamentarian, Dowell Philip O'Reilly 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. [cite web
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title = Dark, Eleanor
publisher = AustLit
date = 2006-07-25
url = http://www.austlit.edu.au/run?ex=ShowAgent&agentId=A$qg
accessdate = 2007-03-31 ]

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,Fact|date=December 2007 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 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 Dark's 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 most well known work is "The Timeless Land" (1941), the first part of a trilogy, with "Storm of Time" (1948) and "No Barrier" (1953).

Bibliography

Novels
* "Slow Dawning". (1932)
* "Prelude to Christopher". (1934)
* "Return to Coolami". (1936)
* "Sun Across the Sky". (1937)
* "Waterway". (1938)
* "The Little Company". (1945)
* "The Timeless Land". (1941)
* "Storm of Time". (1948)
* "No Barrier". (1953)
* "Lantana Lane". (1959)

Notes

References

* Brooks, Barbara and Judith Clark. "Eleanor Dark: A Writer’s Life". (Macmillan, 1998) ISBN 0-7329-0903-1 [http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozlit/rev-9828.html Review]

External links

* [http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/183_11_051205/coo10686_fm.html 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
* [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-27307256_ITM From an unfinished novel by Eleanor Dark]
* [http://www.library.unsw.edu.au/~thesis/adt-NUN/public/adt-NUN20060220.110307/index.html Noble, 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 Wales)]
* [http://www.varuna.com.au/ Varuna: The Writers House]

Persondata
NAME=Dark, Eleanor
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=O'Rane, Patricia
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Twentieth century Australian novelist
DATE OF BIRTH=26 August 1901
PLACE OF BIRTH=Australia
DATE OF DEATH=11 September 1985
PLACE OF DEATH=Australia