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y separately published work icon Marooned on Australia : Being the Narration by Diedrich Buys of His Discoveries and Exploits in Terra Australis Incognita about the Year 1630 single work   children's fiction   children's   science fiction   adventure  
Issue Details: First known date: 1896... 1896 Marooned on Australia : Being the Narration by Diedrich Buys of His Discoveries and Exploits in Terra Australis Incognita about the Year 1630
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

A fictionalised account of the adventures of two mutineers from the Dutch ship Batavia which was shipwrecked in 1869 on the coast of what would later become known as Western Australia. In the aftermath of the grounding of the ship, which carried 320 passengers and crew, the mutineers engaged in an 'orgy of rape and bloodshed,' which led to the death of at least 125 men, women and children. The subsequent interrogation and sentencing of those involved saw seven men hanged (but not before most had their hands chopped off). Two participants, an 18 year-old cabin boy, Jan Pelgrom de Bye and an older sailor named Wouter Loos, were spared execution in favour of being marooned on the mainland. Favenc's protagonists in the book are given the names Diedrich Buys and Paul. Both men were to be picked up later by passing Dutch ships but were never seen again.

In his preface to the 1896 Blackie edition, Favenc writes:
In the following romance I have endeavoured to associate the tradition of De Gonneville's visit to Australia with the historical fact of the wreck of the Batavia, and the marooning of two of the mutineers. The wreck of the Batavia is perhaps one of the most murderous tragedies that ever happened in any part of the world. One of the ruffians confessed, before being hanged, to having killed and assisted to kill, twenty-five defenceless people. '

As with later historical investigations into the fate of these men, and at least 73 other Dutch shipwreck survivors between 1629-1727, Favenc considers the question of what might have happened to them, and in particular what sort of interaction they may have had with the Aboriginal people they encountered. These questions have in later years been answered to some degree by research which demonstrates that some of the Amangu clan carry a gene which can be traced to a specific region (Leydon) in Holland.

On the Web

Notes

  • In his preface Favenc also acknowledges that the novel takes some liberties with the real life account, most noticeable through the introduction of one character, the buccaneer Captain Sharpe (who never visited Australia, although as Favanc notes some of his crew did). He also admits to having taken some freedom with the chronology, bringing Abel Tasman into the story many years before the sailor actually came to those shores (pp.5-6)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,      :       Blackie ,       1896 .
      person or book cover
      Image sourced form the University of Sydney, Fisher Library
      Link: 8596080Full text document AustLit Full Text Link: 9450574Full text PDF
      Extent: 224p., [4] leaves of platesp.
      Description: illus., map.
      Reprinted: 1897 , 1905 , 1920 , 1924 , 1925
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Lost Worlds Australia : Early Australian Science Fiction Lost Worlds Australia : 13 Classic Tales; Lost Worlds Australia : 16 Classic Tales London : Roh Press , 2018 15827253 2018 anthology short story science fiction

    'There has been a lot of speculative fiction written about Australia, even before colonization. The first ‘home-grown’ lost civilization story set in Australia was Oo-A-Deen, or, The Mysteries of the Interior Unveiled, published by an unknown author in the Corio Chronicle and Western Districts Advertiser, in 1847. It tells the story of an explorer who discovers a lost utopian society and falls in love with the daughter of the High Priest. With the rise in popularity of the genre thanks to such novels as Haggard’s She and King Solomon’s Mines many imitators soon followed. Thanks to the imagination of many a writer, the unexplored Australian Outback was soon populated by Atlantaeans, Lemurians, Toltecs, Classical Greeks, Ant Men, Bat People, and even the descendants of Alexander the Great’s mighty army.

    'This Early Australian Science Fiction anthology is a collection of 13 tales considered to be among the most influential Australian works in the lost world genre. They are the works most referred to by researchers and academics when they evaluate Australian colonial science fiction. Some have been made available for Kindle for the very first time and are exclusive to ROH Press.'

    Source: Publisher's blurb (2018 ed.)

         London : Roh Press , 2018
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Lost Worlds Australia : Early Australian Science Fiction Lost Worlds Australia : 13 Classic Tales; Lost Worlds Australia : 16 Classic Tales London : Roh Press , 2018 15827253 2018 anthology short story science fiction

    'There has been a lot of speculative fiction written about Australia, even before colonization. The first ‘home-grown’ lost civilization story set in Australia was Oo-A-Deen, or, The Mysteries of the Interior Unveiled, published by an unknown author in the Corio Chronicle and Western Districts Advertiser, in 1847. It tells the story of an explorer who discovers a lost utopian society and falls in love with the daughter of the High Priest. With the rise in popularity of the genre thanks to such novels as Haggard’s She and King Solomon’s Mines many imitators soon followed. Thanks to the imagination of many a writer, the unexplored Australian Outback was soon populated by Atlantaeans, Lemurians, Toltecs, Classical Greeks, Ant Men, Bat People, and even the descendants of Alexander the Great’s mighty army.

    'This Early Australian Science Fiction anthology is a collection of 13 tales considered to be among the most influential Australian works in the lost world genre. They are the works most referred to by researchers and academics when they evaluate Australian colonial science fiction. Some have been made available for Kindle for the very first time and are exclusive to ROH Press.'

    Source: Publisher's blurb (2018 ed.)

         London : Roh Press , 2019
Alternative title: Odemarkens Hemlighet. Aventyr Under en Upptacksfard I Australien
Language: Swedish
    • Stockholm,
      c
      Sweden,
      c
      Scandinavia, Western Europe, Europe,      :       Fritzes ,       1918 .
      Extent: 188p.
      Note/s:
      • Fritzes scoutbibliotek 14
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()

Works about this Work

Ernest Favenc: Less Known as Nineteenth-Century Australian Children's Author Geoffrey Burkhardt , 2011 single work criticism
— Appears in: The Lu Rees Archives Notes, Books and Authors , no. 33 2011; (p. 6-9) 'Ernest Favenc (1845-1908) is far better remebered as an historian, short story writer and explorer in northern and western Australia than as an author of a number of popular children's books.'
Fabulating the Australian Desert : Australia's Lost Race Romances, 1890-1908 Melissa Bellanta , 2004 single work criticism
— Appears in: Philament , April no. 3 2004;
y separately published work icon Mobilising Fictions or, Romancing the Australian Desert, 1890-1908 Melissa Bellanta , St Lucia : AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource , 2009 Z1238252 2003 single work criticism 'This paper looks at Australia's "lost race romances", published between 1890 and 1908, so-called because they described the discovery of an unknown race in the middle of the Australian desert...' (Author's abstract)
Lost and Found Cities and People : In Australia Graham Stone , 2001 single work review bibliography biography
— Appears in: Notes on Australian Science Fiction 2001; (p. 96-100)
— Review of The Lost Explorer : An Australian Story James Francis Hogan , 1890 single work novel ; The Savage Queen : A Romance of the Natives of Van Dieman's Land Hume Nisbet , 1891 single work novel ; The Golden Idol : A Tale of Adventures in Australia and New Zealand M. C. Walsh , 1891 single work novel ; The Golden Lake, or, The Marvellous History of a Journey Through the Great Lone Land of Australia Carlton Dawe , 1890 single work novel ; The Valley Council; Or, Leaves from the Journal of Thomas Bateman of Canbelego Station, N.S.W. Percy Clarke , 1891 single work novel ; The Secret of the Australian Desert Ernest Favenc , 1890 single work children's fiction ; The Fallen Race Austyn Granville , 1892 single work novel ; Mostyn Stayne Roderic Quinn , 1897 single work novel ; Marooned on Australia : Being the Narration by Diedrich Buys of His Discoveries and Exploits in Terra Australis Incognita about the Year 1630 Ernest Favenc , 1896 single work children's fiction ; Adventure of the Broad Arrow : An Australian Romance. Morley Roberts , 1897 single work novel ; An Australian Bush Track David Hennessey , 1896 single work novel ; The Treasure Cave of the Blue Mountains W. H. O. Smeaton , 1898 single work children's fiction ; The Last Lemurian : A Westralian Romance G. Firth Scott , 1896 single work novel ; Eureka Owen Hall , 1899 single work novel
Their Ghosts May Be Heard : A Response to Ernest Fevenc's Novel "Marooned in Australia" Gary Crew , 2001 single work essay
— Appears in: Storykeepers 2001; (p. 15-29)
An Australian Book of Adventure 1896 single work review
— Appears in: The Queenslander , 12 December 1896; (p. 1123-1124)
— Review of Marooned on Australia : Being the Narration by Diedrich Buys of His Discoveries and Exploits in Terra Australis Incognita about the Year 1630 Ernest Favenc , 1896 single work children's fiction
Literature. Literary Notes 1896 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Mail , 14 November vol. 62 no. 1897 1896; (p. 1030)
— Review of Marooned on Australia : Being the Narration by Diedrich Buys of His Discoveries and Exploits in Terra Australis Incognita about the Year 1630 Ernest Favenc , 1896 single work children's fiction
Untitled 1896 single work review
— Appears in: The Bulletin , 19 December vol. 17 no. 879 1896; (p. 2)
— Review of Marooned on Australia : Being the Narration by Diedrich Buys of His Discoveries and Exploits in Terra Australis Incognita about the Year 1630 Ernest Favenc , 1896 single work children's fiction
Untitled 1905 single work review
— Appears in: The Queenslander , 11 February 1905; (p. 23)
— Review of Marooned on Australia : Being the Narration by Diedrich Buys of His Discoveries and Exploits in Terra Australis Incognita about the Year 1630 Ernest Favenc , 1896 single work children's fiction
Lost and Found Cities and People : In Australia Graham Stone , 2001 single work review bibliography biography
— Appears in: Notes on Australian Science Fiction 2001; (p. 96-100)
— Review of The Lost Explorer : An Australian Story James Francis Hogan , 1890 single work novel ; The Savage Queen : A Romance of the Natives of Van Dieman's Land Hume Nisbet , 1891 single work novel ; The Golden Idol : A Tale of Adventures in Australia and New Zealand M. C. Walsh , 1891 single work novel ; The Golden Lake, or, The Marvellous History of a Journey Through the Great Lone Land of Australia Carlton Dawe , 1890 single work novel ; The Valley Council; Or, Leaves from the Journal of Thomas Bateman of Canbelego Station, N.S.W. Percy Clarke , 1891 single work novel ; The Secret of the Australian Desert Ernest Favenc , 1890 single work children's fiction ; The Fallen Race Austyn Granville , 1892 single work novel ; Mostyn Stayne Roderic Quinn , 1897 single work novel ; Marooned on Australia : Being the Narration by Diedrich Buys of His Discoveries and Exploits in Terra Australis Incognita about the Year 1630 Ernest Favenc , 1896 single work children's fiction ; Adventure of the Broad Arrow : An Australian Romance. Morley Roberts , 1897 single work novel ; An Australian Bush Track David Hennessey , 1896 single work novel ; The Treasure Cave of the Blue Mountains W. H. O. Smeaton , 1898 single work children's fiction ; The Last Lemurian : A Westralian Romance G. Firth Scott , 1896 single work novel ; Eureka Owen Hall , 1899 single work novel
Fabulating the Australian Desert : Australia's Lost Race Romances, 1890-1908 Melissa Bellanta , 2004 single work criticism
— Appears in: Philament , April no. 3 2004;
y separately published work icon Mobilising Fictions or, Romancing the Australian Desert, 1890-1908 Melissa Bellanta , St Lucia : AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource , 2009 Z1238252 2003 single work criticism 'This paper looks at Australia's "lost race romances", published between 1890 and 1908, so-called because they described the discovery of an unknown race in the middle of the Australian desert...' (Author's abstract)
Ernest Favenc: Less Known as Nineteenth-Century Australian Children's Author Geoffrey Burkhardt , 2011 single work criticism
— Appears in: The Lu Rees Archives Notes, Books and Authors , no. 33 2011; (p. 6-9) 'Ernest Favenc (1845-1908) is far better remebered as an historian, short story writer and explorer in northern and western Australia than as an author of a number of popular children's books.'
Their Ghosts May Be Heard : A Response to Ernest Fevenc's Novel "Marooned in Australia" Gary Crew , 2001 single work essay
— Appears in: Storykeepers 2001; (p. 15-29)
VIEW ALL WORKS ABOUT (10)
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