This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1956.
Books
Miles Franklin – Gentlemen at Gyang Gyang : A Tale of the Jumbuck Pads on the Summer Runs Nevil Shute – Beyond the Black Stump Randolph Stow – A Haunted Land Kylie Tennant – The Honey Flow F. J. Thwaites – That Was the Hour E. V. Timms – Shining Harvest Arthur Upfield – Man of Two Tribes F. B. Vickers – First Place to a Stranger Morris West Gallows on the Sand Kundu
Short stories
Ethel Anderson – At Parramatta Leon Gellert – Year After Year Alan Marshall – How's Andy Going? Katharine Susannah Prichard – "N'Goola" David Rowbotham – Town and City : Tales and Sketches Judith Wright – "The Vineyard Woman"
Children's and Young Adult fiction
Mavis Thorpe Clark – The Brown Land Was Green
Poetry
Bruce Beaver – "Cow Dance" David Campbell – The Miracle of Mullion Hill : Poems Rosemary Dobson – "Cock Crow" R. D. Fitzgerald – "This Night's Orbit" Mary Gilmore – "The Waradgery Tribe" Gwen Harwood – "The Old Wife's Tale" James McAuley "Merry-Go-Round" "Vespers" A Vision of Ceremony Ronald McCuaig – "Betty by the Sea" J. S. Manifold – "Fife Tune" Vivian Smith "For My Daughter" The Other Meaning Douglas Stewart – "A Country Song" Judith Wright A Book of Australian Verse (edited) "The Forest"
Biography
Charmian Clift – Mermaid Singing Ion Idriess – The Silver City Jack Lang – I Remember Ruth Park & D'Arcy Niland – The Drums Go Bang!
Awards and honours
Literary
Award Author Title Publisher ALS Gold Medal Not awarded
Children's and Young Adult
Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award Older ReadersAustlit - The Crooked Snake by Patricia Wrightson Patricia Wrightson, illustrated by Margaret Horder The Crooked Snake Angus and Robertson Picture BookAustlit - Wish and the Magic Nut by Peggy Barnard Peggy Barnard, illustrated by Sheila Hawkins Wish and the Magic Nut John Sands
Poetry
Award Author Title Publisher Grace Leven Prize for Poetry James McAuley A Vision of Ceremony Angus & Robertson
Births
A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1956 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
9 January – Bill Leak, editorial and political cartoonist, caricaturist and portraitist (died 2017) 28 January – Tim Flannery, scientist and science writer 25 October – Kerry Reed-Gilbert, poet and author (died 2019) 5 November – Gig Ryan, poet
Unknown date Judith Beveridge, poet and editor Susan Johnson, novelist
Deaths
A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1956 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
3 March – Dale Collins, journalist and novelist (born 1897) 15 April – Jane Fletcher, poet, nature writer and children's writer (born 1870) 25 August – Lilian Turner, writer for children (born 1867) 20 September – Flora Eldershaw, novelist (born 1867)
See also 1956 in Australia 1956 in literature 1956 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature
References