AustLit

The novel, The Children, later known as Walkabout, (see under James Vance Marshall), was actually written by Donald Payne, an English author of numerous works of fiction for both children and adults. That work was based on the notes of Marshall, however, Marshall claimed the work as his own during his lifetime. Following Marshall's death, Payne continued to publish novels for children and adults using Marshall's name with the permission of Marshall's son and literary executor. In some cases the later books also drew on Marshall's notes. There has been confusion about the status of the works in numerous bibliographical sources.

Other works that have appeared under James Vance Marshall's name, and which have, in some instances been listed as Australian, are A Walk to the Hills of the Dreamtime (1970), My Boy John That Went to the Sea (1966) and A River Ran out of Eden (1962). Only those works with Australian content have been included in AustLit.

Payne also used the psuedonyms Ian Cameron and Donald Gordon for various works.