AustLit

The writer for the Empire contends that: 'In the present sensational age, when the demand in the literary world for incidents of the most striking character has become so great, it is somewhat strange that the vast fields presented by the lives of the worthies who figured in the early history of the Australian colonies should have been left comparatively ungleaned. It is true that Henry Kingsley, Charles Reade, Mark Lemon and one or two other celebrated authors have introduced Australian incidents in their works, but the time and place have generally been chosen by these writers after the great revolution which the discovery of gold produced ... From the facts attendant on the career of many of the old convicts a rich harvest might be reaped by the novelist, while to the narrator of things as they really occurred, abundant materials are ready at hand for biographical sketches of the most interesting nature.'

Over two instalments, the writer outlines prospective candidates who could provide literary inspiration.