D'Arcy Niland
Encyclopedia
D'Arcy Francis Niland was an Australia
n novelist and short story writer, best known for The Shiralee
.
, into a large Irish-Catholic family, in 1917. The baby was named by his father after the Australian boxer Les Darcy
(1895–1917), but Niland changed the spelling to D'Arcy as an adult.
Niland left school at 14 and for a time (at age 16) worked in Sydney as a copy-boy for The Sun newspaper, hoping to become a reporter. The Depression ended this avenue of employment, however, and for some years he travelled the country, finding work in a wide variety of occupations. He married the New Zealand
-born journalist and budding author Ruth Park
in 1942.
After their marriage, Niland and Park travelled through the outback of Australia for a time before settling in Surry Hills, then a tough working-class suburb of Sydney
, where they earned a living writing full-time and garnering critical praise for their works. Eventually, their marriage produced five children.
Between 1949 and 1952, Niland won many prizes for his short stories and novels and, three years later, achieved international fame with the novel The Shiralee. This was followed by Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1957) and four more novels. He also wrote radio and television plays, and hundreds of short stories, some of which were collected and published in four volumes from 1961 to 1966.
Of all Niland's books, The Shiralee remains his most renowned. It portrays the wanderings and experiences of an Australian swagman
named Macauley and his daughter. It was published in 1955 and made into a 1957 film, starring Peter Finch
, and a 1987 TV mini-series
, starring Bryan Brown
. Niland also compiled a collection of Australian folk songs
, releasing them under the title Travelling songs of old Australia (1966).
Park edited the pick of her husband's short stories after his death and they were published by Penguin Books
in 1987. She also completed his research into the life of Les Darcy, releasing it in the form of a biography, Home Before Dark (1995), that was written with her son-in-law Rafe Champion
. The Darcy biography is drawn from Niland's immense archive of books, photographs, clippings, letters, unpublished memoirs and taped interviews about the ill-fated boxer, supplemented by subsequent research. (A hero to many Irish Australians, Darcy had died of an infection in America at the height of his sporting powers, only a few months before Niland's birth in 1917.)
In 1961, Niland and Park had spent time in the United States gathering information on Darcy's experiences there, talking with old fighters, trainers, promoters and associates, as well as the doctors who strove to save Darcy's life. Picking up where Niland left off, the Park-completed biography is a carefully compiled chronicle of Darcy's short life as seen through the eyes of his contemporaries. It also throws light on the Australian national mood during the years of World War I
.
Niland was burdened with a chronic heart condition (it had prevented him from serving with the Australian armed forces during World War II
), and he died at the age of 49.
Park's autobiographies A Fence around the Cuckoo and Fishing in the Styx include details of her life with Niland and their five children. Their twin daughters, Kilmeny
and Deborah
, have both forged successful careers as book illustrators. Park died in Sydney in 2010, aged 93. Her obituary appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on 17 December of that year.
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 novelist and short story writer, best known for The Shiralee
The Shiralee
The Shiralee is a 1957 film made by the British Ealing Studios, directed by Leslie Norman and based on the novel by D'Arcy Niland. Although all exterior scenes were filmed in Australia and Australian actors Charles Tingwell, Bill Kerr and Ed Devereaux played in supporting roles, the film is really...
.
Life and writing career
Niland was born in the rural town of Glen Innes, New South WalesGlen Innes, New South Wales
Glen Innes is a parish and town on the Northern Tablelands, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of the Glen Innes Severn Shire Council. The town is located at the intersection of the New England Highway and the Gwydir Highway...
, into a large Irish-Catholic family, in 1917. The baby was named by his father after the Australian boxer Les Darcy
Les Darcy
James Leslie Darcy was an Australian boxer. He was a middleweight, but held the Australian Heavyweight Championship title at the same time....
(1895–1917), but Niland changed the spelling to D'Arcy as an adult.
Niland left school at 14 and for a time (at age 16) worked in Sydney as a copy-boy for The Sun newspaper, hoping to become a reporter. The Depression ended this avenue of employment, however, and for some years he travelled the country, finding work in a wide variety of occupations. He married the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
-born journalist and budding author Ruth Park
Ruth Park
Ruth Park, AM was a New Zealand-born author, who spent most of her life in Australia. Her best known works are the novels The Harp in the South and Playing Beatie Bow , and the children's radio serial The Muddle-Headed Wombat , which also spawned a book series .-Personal history:Park was born in...
in 1942.
After their marriage, Niland and Park travelled through the outback of Australia for a time before settling in Surry Hills, then a tough working-class suburb of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, where they earned a living writing full-time and garnering critical praise for their works. Eventually, their marriage produced five children.
Between 1949 and 1952, Niland won many prizes for his short stories and novels and, three years later, achieved international fame with the novel The Shiralee. This was followed by Call Me When the Cross Turns Over (1957) and four more novels. He also wrote radio and television plays, and hundreds of short stories, some of which were collected and published in four volumes from 1961 to 1966.
Of all Niland's books, The Shiralee remains his most renowned. It portrays the wanderings and experiences of an Australian swagman
Swagman
A swagman is an old Australian and New Zealand term describing an underclass of transient temporary workers, who travelled by foot from farm to farm carrying the traditional swag...
named Macauley and his daughter. It was published in 1955 and made into a 1957 film, starring Peter Finch
Peter Finch
Peter Finch was a British-born Australian actor. He is best remembered for his role as "crazed" television anchorman Howard Beale in the film Network, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor, his fifth Best Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and a...
, and a 1987 TV mini-series
The Shiralee (1987 film)
The Shiralee is a 1987 Australian TV film directed by George Ogilvie, based on the novel of the same name by D'Arcy Niland.-External links:*...
, starring Bryan Brown
Bryan Brown
Bryan Neathway Brown, AM is an Australian actor.-Early life:Brown was born in Sydney, the son of John Brown and Molly Brown, a house cleaner who worked as a pianist in the early days of the Langshaw School of Ballet. He grew up in the south-western Sydney suburb of Bankstown and began working at...
. Niland also compiled a collection of Australian folk songs
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, releasing them under the title Travelling songs of old Australia (1966).
Park edited the pick of her husband's short stories after his death and they were published by Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
in 1987. She also completed his research into the life of Les Darcy, releasing it in the form of a biography, Home Before Dark (1995), that was written with her son-in-law Rafe Champion
Rafe Champion
Rafe Champion is an Australian writer. He was born in the Australian state of Tasmania, and grew up on a farm in the northern part of that state, near Irishtown...
. The Darcy biography is drawn from Niland's immense archive of books, photographs, clippings, letters, unpublished memoirs and taped interviews about the ill-fated boxer, supplemented by subsequent research. (A hero to many Irish Australians, Darcy had died of an infection in America at the height of his sporting powers, only a few months before Niland's birth in 1917.)
In 1961, Niland and Park had spent time in the United States gathering information on Darcy's experiences there, talking with old fighters, trainers, promoters and associates, as well as the doctors who strove to save Darcy's life. Picking up where Niland left off, the Park-completed biography is a carefully compiled chronicle of Darcy's short life as seen through the eyes of his contemporaries. It also throws light on the Australian national mood during the years of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Niland was burdened with a chronic heart condition (it had prevented him from serving with the Australian armed forces during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
), and he died at the age of 49.
Park's autobiographies A Fence around the Cuckoo and Fishing in the Styx include details of her life with Niland and their five children. Their twin daughters, Kilmeny
Kilmeny Niland
Kilmeny Niland was an Australian artist and illustrator. While best known for her children's book illustrations, she worked in a wide range of genres, including animation, wildlife art, miniatures, portraits, cards and prints...
and Deborah
Deborah Niland
Deborah Niland is an Australian artist, well known as a writer and illustrator of children's books. Some of her most popular books include Annie's Chair, When The Wind Changed, Mulga Bill's Bicycle, and Chatterbox...
, have both forged successful careers as book illustrators. Park died in Sydney in 2010, aged 93. Her obituary appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on 17 December of that year.