AustLit logo

AustLit

Navvie's Tales : Retold by 'The Boss' series - author   short story  
Issue Details: First known date: 1873... 1873 Navvie's Tales : Retold by 'The Boss'
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Includes

The Dog Detective W. W. , 1873 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , May vol. 8 no. 96 1873; (p. 473-479) Set on the Akhurst diggings around 1858, Jack Rigby takes Irishman Jimmy Roach as a business partner in a hotel. During a drinking bout Jimmy discovers a murdered Jewish pedlar. Eventually cleared of the murder he tracks down the guilty party with the aid of his mangy dog, Growl. (PB)
Caught At Last W. W. , 1873 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , June vol. 8 no. 97 1873; (p. 533-539) A romance between George Merrivale and Jane Pascoe is ended by her father's murder and suspicion of George. Though he tracks down the murderers, all is not repaired. (PB)
The Salted Claim W. W. , 1873 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , July vol. 8 no. 98 1873; (p. 593-597) An American store-owner on a deserted Victorian diggings 'salts' his claim to attract fresh diggers. He is discovered and punished by the diggers, but his daughter's lover discovers a large nugget in the meantime and marries her; also revealing her true father ... (PB)
Charley Evans' Story W. W. , 1873 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , August vol. 8 no. 99 1873; (p. 653-660) A gently-spoken London boy is transported to Australia for forgery, saving the crew and passengers on the convict ship from mutiny. Walworth, a passenger, assists the boy on his station after their arrival - but a few years later is murdered by an escaped mutineer. A convict cool and the boy help in the capture of the mutineering convict. (PB)
The Convict Son W. W. , 1873 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , October vol. 9 no. 101 1873; (p. 66-73) A 'new chum' from England is hired at Circular Quay, Sydney, by the owner of a station near Mt Bulwa 95 miles from the city, as storekeeper. He discovers the secret of the squatter's depression when an escaped convict leaves him a chalked message ... Interesting portraits of ex-convicts and tramps. (PB)
The Queen of Diamonds W. W. , 1873 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , November vol. 9 no. 102 1873; (p. 127-132) A 'new chum' the son of a Birmingham iron manufacturing firm selling rolling stock to thr railway tells the story of his engagement to Charlotte West, his Melbourne's landlady's 'daughter' - and his discovery of her infamous past including a murder in Sydney.
The Second Wedding W. W. , 1873 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , December vol. 9 no. 103 1873; (p. 183-189) Pat Shanehans's tale of laughter - of Mary Anne O' Callaghan who decides to re-marry aafter her husband is drowned but whose wedding's day is reduced to a farce and ends with her husband's reappearance. Set near the Ovens River. (PB)
The Knock At the Window W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , January vol. 9 no. 104 1874; (p. 241-245) A wood-cutter becomes involved in the discovering of a station owner's murder of his wife and child. Includes a seduction and a ghostly appearance. (PB)
The Curlew's Watch W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , February vol. 9 no. 105 1874; (p. 299-305) The call of a curlew in a tree by the Goulburn River helps the son of a murdered couple prove the guilt of the new occupier of the land - by pretending to be a swagman and then a prisoner. (PB)
The Tattooed Cross W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , March vol. 9 no. 106 1874; (p. 359-361) A swagman's tattoed wrist saves the narrator from hanging for a murder he did not commit. A tale of a Christmas spent in gaol, told at a bush Christmas driving cattle from Denliquin, remembered around Christmas on this railway building work ... (PB)
The Murderer's Claim W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , May vol. 9 no. 108 1874; (p. 477-482) Two Irish new chums lose their way and find themselves at the Gap Diggings. They soon come to suspect their landlady and her son, their digging partner, of murdering their predecessor. A ghostly manifestation and a vengeful fiancee follow. (PB)
Tim Cavan's Heir W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , June vol. 9 no. 109 1874; (p. 535-539) A wife is finally controlled when her husband discovers her plot to substitute a pregnant servant's child for the one she is not having (being only fat, not pregnant). Savage humour in parts. (PB)
The Lost Ruby W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , July vol. 9 no. 110 1874; (p. 593-598) Kate Engrove, recently arrived in Victoria, is in love with the handsome Augustus Clerson and not with her farming, good-looking cousin, Henry Treshaw. A fire and the theft of a ruby heirloom are solved by some quick deterctive work ... (PB)
John Harden's Will W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , August vol. 9 no. 111 1874; (p. 651-655) An old miner, a young squatter, and a sickly youth work gold claims side by side in the bush. The squatter alone has no luck and determines to murder the old miner - but only in his will is the full tragedy revealed. (PB)
Identified W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , September vol. 10 no. 112 1874; (p. 11-15) Tragedy strikes an English gentleman's household in Australia when first some money than his daughter's jewels are stolen, and she identifies the thief in court as her husband. (PB)
The Madman's Coffin W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , October vol. 10 no. 113 1874; (p. 66-69) A swagman stays in a hut in country Victoria, to rest for the winter to follow an abandoned gold lead. A coffin in the hut is explained by a maniac who tells him its origins and consigns him to it ... (PB)
The Pink Heath W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , November vol. 10 no. 114 1874; (p. 151-155) A tragedy of Victori'as Western District where a cattle station owner's daughter disappears. Melbourne detective Dan Scully suspects the owner's nephew who desperately wished to marry her ... (PB)
A Strange Plant W. W. , 1874 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , December vol. 10 no. 115 1874; (p. 186-189) A resentful old station hand at Newalla shoots the owner's son and casts the blame on a youth who lent him his gun. A young trooper convicts him through stolen money in the pouch of his pet kangaroo. (PB)
The Reefer's Wife W. W. , 1875 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , January vol. 10 no. 116 1875; (p. 240-244) A miner's wife is unfaithful with a mining-engine driver who desires her husband's gold. The husband's murder and the suspicious of her step-son reveal their double iniquity ... Set on the diggings. (PB)
The Madwoman's Cave W. W. , 1875 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , February vol. 10 no. 117 1875; (p. 325-331) Well-heeled new chum Augustus Digby falls prey to the card-shaping Harry Moulton in Melbourne and agrees to accompany him to his coastal home. There he meet Harry's sister, Bella, who is beautiful but mad. Locked in an underground cavern with her ... Rescue depends on his faithful English servant, James Salop ... (PB)
What John Moffat Meant W. W. , 1875 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , March vol. 10 no. 118 1875; (p. 392-400) In a cottage on the Ballarat road, John Moffat attempts to frame a drunkard with the murder of his 'mad' wife, not realising that they had loved each other in youth ... (PB)
The Hand of Glory W. W. , 1875 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , April vol. 10 no. 119 1875; (p. 441-446) A London detective visiting friends - a banker and his son - becomes involved in solving the son's murder, and in doing so uncovers an avenging murdress responsible for a series of murders in England. Plot involves an ex-convict, the mudress' son. (PB)
Won and Lost W. W. , 1875 single work short story
— Appears in: The Australian Journal , May vol. 10 no. 120 1875; (p. 485-492) Ellinor Ellenby, friendless and penniless, accepts a position as a housekeeper/companion at a country station. On arrival she finds her charge, Anna Rutherford, is engaged to Ellinor's own husband Walter ... tragedy ensues. (PB)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

First known date: 1873
VIEW PUBLICATION DETAILS FOR ALL VERSIONS ()
Last amended 8 May 2008 16:18:06
Settings:
  • c
    Australia,
    c
Newspapers:
    Powered by Trove
    X