D'Arcy Niland’s Followers (15)

D'Arcy Niland

Born

in Glen Innes, Australia

October 20, 1917

Died

March 29, 1967

Website

http://www.darcy-niland.com.au/

Genre

Short Stories, Literature & Fiction

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D’Arcy Francis Niland was an Australian author who wrote prolifically during his lifetime. He is well-known for his classic novel The Shiralee, a best-selling book which has never been out of print since its first publication in 1955. His major interest was in the craft of short story writing. He produced over five hundred short stories published in Australia and abroad.

D’Arcy Niland was born in Glen Innes, NSW on 20 October 1917. He was educated at St Joseph’s School in Glen Innes and it was here, he was encouraged to write by the nuns who saw a literary potential in their young pupil.

Having to leave school by the age of fourteen to help support his large family, he took on varied employment in shearing sheds, potato fields, opal mines, ci D’Arcy Francis Niland was an Australian author who wrote prolifically during his lifetime. He is well-known for his classic novel The Shiralee, a best-selling book which has never been out of print since its first publication in 1955. His major interest was in the craft of short story writing. He produced over five hundred short stories published in Australia and abroad.

D’Arcy Niland was born in Glen Innes, NSW on 20 October 1917. He was educated at St Joseph’s School in Glen Innes and it was here, he was encouraged to write by the nuns who saw a literary potential in their young pupil.

Having to leave school by the age of fourteen to help support his large family, he took on varied employment in shearing sheds, potato fields, opal mines, circus tents and boxing shows. He educated himself by reading the dictionary and practised his writing craft when he could.

The Niland family left Glen Innes around 1933, to live in Sydney. D’Arcy Niland worked as a copyboy at the Sun newspaper. He supplemented his small income by working at the railway sheds at Redfern, Sydney.

In 1942 he married Ruth Park, a New Zealander, with whom he had been corresponding for several years about their like-minded goals as writers. Once married, the couple decided to make a concerted effort to pursue their dream to live entirely by writing. They worked in partnership and alone, producing an enormous output of stories, songs, jingles, plays, factual articles, scripts, poems and novels.

In Balgowlah, NSW, they raised their family of five children, whilst juggling writing commitments.

Achieving wider recognition through winning various literary prizes, D’Arcy Niland was awarded £600 by the Commonwealth Literary Fund in 1952 to write a novel.

The result was The Shiralee, published in 1955. It was an international success. There have been over sixty-five editions and many translations. It was made into a film of the same name in 1957, starring Peter Finch, and a cast of well-known Australian actors. The Shiralee was also made into a popular television mini-series in 1987, with Bryan Brown as Macauley.

D’Arcy Niland continued writing to the end of his life, completing his last novel Dead Men Running two days before his death on 29 March 1967. ...more

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D'Arcy Niland’s books

Average rating: 4.04 · 1,271 ratings · 137 reviews · 20 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Shiralee 4.06 avg rating — 1,130 ratings — published 1955 — 45 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Call Me When the Cross Turns Over 3.93 avg rating — 29 ratings — published 1957 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Big Smoke 3.96 avg rating — 26 ratings — published 1959 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dead Men Running really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 22 ratings — published 1969 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gold in the Streets really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dadda Jumped Over Two Elephants 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 1961 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Call Me When The Cross Turns Over it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Logan's Girl liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1957	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Woman from the country 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ballad of the Fat Bushranger and Other Humorous Stories 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by D'Arcy Niland (?)

“Then he should pick something that will better him, that is good for him, and try to achieve it. Then he’s running towards something. See what I mean?”
― D'Arcy Niland, The Shiralee

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“Don't lead two lives or both will be unhappy; lead one and lead it well.”
― D'Arcy Niland, The Shiralee

tags: life

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D'Arcy Niland’s Followers (15)

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