This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1966.
Events Australia decimalised its currency on 14 February 1966, with the Australian dollars replacing the Australian pound. Australian writer and poet Henry Lawson was featured on the back side of the new $10 note.
Major publications Books James Aldridge My Brother Tom The Statesman's Games Jon Cleary The High Commissioner The Pulse of Danger Peter Cowan – Seed Sumner Locke Elliott – Some Doves and Pythons Elizabeth Harrower – The Watch Tower Shirley Hazzard – The Evening of the Holiday Morris Lurie – Rappaport Peter Mathers – Trap Christina Stead – Dark Places of the Heart Arthur Upfield – The Lake Frome Monster Judah Waten – Season of Youth Patrick White – The Solid Mandala
Short stories James Hackston – Father Clears Out Elizabeth Harrower – "The Beautiful Climate" D'Arcy Niland – Pairs and Loners Judith Wright – The Nature of Love
Children's and Young Adult fiction Mavis Thorpe Clark – The Min-Min Max Fatchen – The River Kings Elyne Mitchell – Silver Brumby Kingdom Ruth Park The Muddle-Headed Wombat at School The Muddle-Headed Wombat in the Snow Joan Phipson – The Crew of the Merlin Judith Wright – The River and the Road
Poetry
Vincent Buckley – Arcady and Other Places : Poems Bruce Dawe – "The Not-So-Good Earth" William Hart-Smith – The Talking Clothes: Poems Dorothy Hewett – "Legend of the Green Country" A. D. Hope – Collected Poems 1930 - 1965 Les Murray – "Evening Alone at Bunyah" Oodgeroo Noonuccal "Gifts" "No More Boomerang" Judith Wright "Eve to Her Daughters" "Naked Girl and Mirror" The Other Half : Poems
Biography Hal Porter – The Paper Chase Clement Semmler – Kenneth Slessor
Non-Fiction Geoffrey Blainey – The Tyranny of Distance
Awards and honours Literary Award Author Title Publisher ALS Gold Medal A. D. Hope Miles Franklin Award Peter Mathers Trap Cassell
Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award Older Readers"The award winners", The Canberra Times, 9 July 1966, p12 Ivan Southall Ash Road Angus and Robertson Picture Book No award
Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Grace Leven Prize for PoetryAustlit - The Talking Clothes : Poems by William Hart-Smith William Hart-Smith The Talking Clothes: Poems Angus and 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 1966 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
3 June – Kate Forsyth, novelist 10 October – Andrew McGahan, novelist (died 2019) 17 November – Nikki Gemmell, novelist
Unknown date
Delia Falconer, novelist Anna Funder, novelist Malcolm Knox, 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 1966 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
16 April – Eric Lambert, novelist (born 1918) 28 May – Edward Harrington, bush balladist and short story writer (born 1896) 18 August – Myra Morris, author and poet (born 1893)
See also 1966 in Australia 1966 in literature 1966 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature
References