1985 in Australian literature

Literature-related events in Australia during the year of 1985

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1985.

## Events

[edit]

* Christopher Koch won the 1985 Miles Franklin Award for The Doubleman

## Major publications

[edit]

### Novels

[edit]

* Thea Astley — Beachmasters
* Peter Carey — Illywhacker
* Sumner Locke Elliott — About Tilly Beamis[1]
* David Foster — Dog Rock[2]
* Kate Grenville — Lilian's Story
* Barbara Hanrahan — Annie Magdalene[3]
* Thomas Keneally — A Family Madness
* Christopher Koch — The Doubleman

### Short story collections

[edit]

* David Malouf — Antipodes
* Olga Masters — A Long Time Dying[4]

### Crime and mystery

[edit]

* Peter Corris
* The Big Drop and Other Cliff Hardy Stories
* Make Me Rich
* Pokerface[5]

### Children's and young adult fiction

[edit]

* Pamela Allen — A Lion in the Night
* Duncan Ball — Selby's Secret
* Thurley Fowler – The Green Wind[6]
* Robin Klein — Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left
* Gillian Rubinstein — Space Demons

### Poetry

[edit]

* Robert Gray — Selected Poems 1963–1983[7]
* Chris Wallace-Crabbe — The Amorous Cannibal[8]

### Drama

[edit]

* Janis Balodis – Too Young for Ghosts
* Jack Davis — No Sugar
* Michael Gow — The Astronaut’s Wife[9]
* Louis Nowra — The Golden Age
* David Williamson — Sons of Cain

### Non-fiction

[edit]

* John Bryson — Evil Angels[10]

## Awards and honours

[edit]

* Jack Davis AM, for "service to Aboriginal literature and theatre"[11]
* Frank Moorhouse AM, for "service to Australian literature"[12]
* Morris West AM, for "service to literature"[13]

### Lifetime achievement

[edit]

Award  | Author

|

Christopher Brennan Award[14] | Les Murray
Patrick White Award[15] | Judah Waten (posthumous)

### Literary awards

[edit]

Award  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|

The Age Book of the Year Award[16] | Peter Carey | Illywhacker | University of Queensland Press
ALS Gold Medal[17] | David Ireland | Archimedes and the Seagle | Viking Press
Colin Roderick Award[18] | John Gunn | The Defeat of Distance : Qantas 1919-1939 | University of Queensland Press

### Fiction awards

[edit]

Award  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|

The Age Book of the Year Award[16] | Peter Carey | Illywhacker | University of Queensland Press
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award[19] | No award  |  |
Miles Franklin Award[20] | Christopher Koch | The Doubleman | Chatto & Windus
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[21] | Elizabeth Jolley | Milk and Honey | Fremantle Arts Centre Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[22] | David Malouf | Antipodes | Chatto and Windus
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards[23] | Tim Winton | Shallows | Allen & Unwin
Scission and Other Stories | McPhee Gribble

### Children and Young Adult

[edit]

Award  | Category  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|
|

Children's Book of the Year Award | Older Readers[24] | James Aldridge | The True Story of Lilli Stubeck | Hyland House
Picture Book[25] | Not awarded  |  |
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[21] | Young People's Literature | Nadia Wheatley | The House that Was Eureka | Penguin

### Science fiction and fantasy

[edit]

Award  | Category  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|
|

Australian SF Achievement Award[26] | Best Australian Science Fiction  | Victor Kelleher | The Beast of Heaven | University of Queensland Press

### Poetry

[edit]

Award  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|

Anne Elder Award[27] | Stephen J. Williams  | A Crowd of Voices | Pariah Press Co-op
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry[28] | Robert Gray | Selected Poems 1963–1983 | Angus and Robertson
Chris Wallace-Crabbe | The Amorous Cannibal | Oxford University Press
Mary Gilmore Award[29] | Doris Brett | The Truth About Unicorns | Jacaranda Press
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[21] | Kevin Hart | Your Shadow | Angus & Robertson
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[22] | Rosemary Dobson | The Three Fates and Other Poems | Hale and Iremonger
Kevin Hart | Your Shadow | Angus & Robertson

### Drama

[edit]

Award  | Category  | Author  | Title

|
|
|

New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[21] | Script  | Bob Ellis and Paul Cox | My First Wife
Margaret Kelly, Chris Noonan, Phillip Noyce
and Russell Braddon | The Cowra Breakout
Play  | Stephen Sewell | The Blind Giant is Dancing
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[22] | Drama  | David Allen  | Cheapside

### Non-fiction

[edit]

Award  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|

The Age Book of the Year Award[16] | Chester Eagle  | Mapping the Paddocks | McPhee Gribble
Hugh Lunn | Vietnam: A Reporter's War | University of Queensland Press
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[21] | Elsie Webster  | The Moon Man | Melbourne University Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[22] | Bernard Smith | The Boy Adeodatus : The Portrait of a Lucky Young Bastard | Allen Lane

## Births

[edit]

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1985 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

Unknown date

* Hannah Kent, historical novelist [30]

## Deaths

[edit]

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1985 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

* 26 January — Anne Spencer Parry, pioneer fantasy writer (born 1931)[31]
* 14 February — Douglas Stewart, poet, short story writer, essayist and literary editor (born 1913)[32]
* 19 April — John Manifold, poet and critic (born 1915)[33]
* 5 May — Carter Brown, writer of detective fiction (born in England, 1923)[34]
* 18 July — F. B. Vickers, novelist (born 1903)[35]
* 29 July — Judah Waten, novelist (born 1911)[36]
* 11 September — Eleanor Dark, novelist (born 1901)[37]
* 4 November — A. A. Phillips, writer, critic and teacher, best known for coining the term "Cultural Cringe" (born 1900)[38]

## See also

[edit]

* 1985 in Australia
* 1985 in literature
* 1985 in poetry
* List of years in literature
* List of years in Australian literature

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Austlit — About Tilly Beamis by Sumner Locke Elliott". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
2. ^ "Austlit — Dog Rock by David Foster". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
3. ^ "Austlit — Annie Magdalene by Barbara Hanrahan". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
4. ^ "Austlit — A Long Time Dying by Olga Masters". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
5. ^ "Pokerface by Peter Corris". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
6. ^ "The Green Wind (Rigby)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
7. ^ "Austlit — Selected Poems 1963–1983 by Robert Gray". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
8. ^ "Austlit — The Amorous Cannibal by Chris Wallace-Crabbe". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
9. ^ "Austlit — The Astronaut's Wife by Michael Gow". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
10. ^ "Evil Angels by John Bryson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
11. ^ "Jack Leonard Davis". honours.pmc.gov.au. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
12. ^ "Frank Thomas Moorhouse". honours.pmc.gov.au. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
13. ^ "Morris Langlo West". honours.pmc.gov.au. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
14. ^ ""Interview with Les A. Murray" by Barbara Williams" (PDF). Westerly, Winter 1992. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
15. ^ "Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners". Austlit. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
16. ^ a b c ""Another award for Carey's 'Illywacker'"". The Canberra Times, 7 March 1986, p1. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
17. ^ "ALS Gold Medal - Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
18. ^ "Colin Roderick Award - Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
19. ^ "Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1985". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
20. ^ "Koch wins literary award". The Canberra Times. Vol. 60, no. 18, 487. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 14 May 1986. p. 7. Retrieved 25 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
21. ^ a b c d e "Scholarly biography wins Premier's award". Sydney Morning Herald, 10 September 1985, p4. ProQuest 2526272676. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
22. ^ a b c d "Malouf takes $15,000 Palmer prize". The Age, 15 August 1985, p3. ProQuest 2521256342. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
23. ^ ""Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's"". University Libraries. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
24. ^ "Austlit — Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers 1985". Austlit. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
25. ^ "Austlit — Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book 1985". Austlit. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
26. ^ ""Ditmar Awards 1985"". SFADB. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
27. ^ "Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1985-88". Austlit. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
28. ^ "Austlit — Grave Leven prize 1985". Austlit. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
29. ^ "Mary Gilmore Award". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
30. ^ "Hannah Kent". Austlit. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
31. ^ "Austlit — Anne Parry (1931-1985)". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
32. ^ "Douglas Alexander Stewart (1913–1985) by Ivor Indyk". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
33. ^ "J. S. Manifold (1915-1985)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
34. ^ "Alan Yates (1923-1985)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
35. ^ "Austlit — F. B. Vickers (1903-1985)". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
36. ^ "Judah Leon Waten (1911–1985) by David Carter". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
37. ^ "Dark, Eleanor (1901–1985) by Marivic Wyndham". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
38. ^ "Austlit — A. A. Phillips (1900-1985)". Austlit. Retrieved 14 November 2023.

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