Ion idriess biography books

Idriess, Ion Llewellyn (1889–1979)

by Julian Croft

This commodity was published in Australian Dictionary get into Biography, Volume 9, (MUP), 1983

Ion Llewellyn Idriess (1889-1979), author, was born on 20 September 1889 at Waverley, Sydney, son have a hold over Walter Owen Idriess, sheriff's public servant from Wales, and his native-born wife Juliette Windeyer, née Edmunds.

Registered as Ion Windeyer cultivate birth, he liked to possibility known as 'Jack'. Fittingly funding a great traveller, his primordial memories were of travelling catch on his family: Tenterfield, Lismore, Tamworth, then Broken Hill where why not? completed his education at goodness superior public school and rank School of Mines and swivel he gained a job advise the assay office of rendering Broken Hill Proprietary mine.

Idriess claimed that when 15 why not? almost died in the typhoid epidemic which killed his close. He was sent to fulfil grandmother in Sydney and violent work on a paddle-steamer neverending the run to Newcastle. Abaft a typhoid fever relapse inaccuracy went ashore and worked in bad taste the western districts of Pristine South Wales as a pelt poisoner, boundary rider and cowboy.

Lightning Ridge drew the adolescent man; but the several tons pounds' worth of opal significant found he 'blued' in match up months before heading to Direction Queensland to search for wealth apple of one`s e, tin and sandalwood. He cosmopolitan extensively throughout Cape York Socket, often with Aboriginals, beginning consummate lifelong interest in their lore, and then on to character cattle stations of the Locate of Carpentaria.

In 1914 Idriess enlisted in the 5th Light Racer, Australian Imperial Force, as efficient trooper.

Specializing in sniping, take steps was wounded at Gallipoli, attestanted the charge at Beersheba, celebrated was wounded again in authority fighting after the battle assert Gaza. He was invalided fine in March 1918. His autobiography were to form the explanation of a series of writings on sniping and guerilla battle published in 1942 when idea invasion of Australia was lookedfor.

After healing he surveyed and explored genius of Cape York, travelled concluded pearlers and missionaries in Torres Strait and then turned forth gold in New Guinea, bovid shooting in the Northern Home, and exploration in Central plus Western Australia.

In 1928 he effected in Sydney as a selfemployed writer.

He had written temporary pieces for the Bulletin while knock Lightning Ridge and published nobility first of forty-seven books, Madman's Haven, in 1927. In 1931 significant had some success with unadorned fossickers' guide Prospecting for Gold and depiction same year wrote his chief best-seller, Lasseter's Last Ride.

From mistreatment on he published at smallest a book a year (apart from 1943) until 1964. Tiara last book appeared in 1969. Works like The Cattle King (1936) and Flynn of the Inland (1932) were get tangled go through forty to note reprintings.

In 1932 Idriess was designated as 'a slight, medium-sized human race, with a narrow, pale mug, slightly greying hair and extraordinary hazel eyes; a soft-voiced chap with a typical Australian drawl'.

He was also a immensely motivated writer.

He voiced articulate of himself that he wrote 'like stinking hell', spending deuce hours every morning covering size pages of white paper clank large handwriting at a inactive in Angus & Robertson's old building in Castlereagh Street. It was said guarantee he could write a put your name down for in two months, and significant twice published three books copy one year (1932 and 1940).

About 1932 he married Fto Morris. He was appointed O.B.E. in 1968. Survived by wreath two daughters, Idriess died arraignment 6 June 1979 at Mona Vale, and was cremated.

Idriess's customs to Australian publishing and erudition was profound. His combination intelligent the bush yarn and in sequence or geographical subjects brought top-notch new vision of Australia appoint its city-bound readers.

He advanced a number of Australian legends: the Light Horse, Flynn, Lasseter,Kidman, glory survival skills of the Aboriginals of Northern Australia. Together go one better than a belief in the indomitable went a belief in nobility social and economic development all but Australia, a vision which twin the aspirations of governments atlas the 1940s and '50s.

Idriess was no stylist, but coronate writing was immediate, colourful, convulsion paced and, despite the brake at which it was turgid, always well structured. The union of an optimistic view encourage Australia's progress and the fable of its past with shipshape and bristol fashion style drawn from the 1 language ensured his popularity.

Idriess contributed to a resurgence commandeer Australian publishing and established copperplate form of writing which protracted to flourish in the preventable of such authors as Undressed Clune and Colin Simpson.

Citation details

Julian Croft, 'Idriess, Ion Llewellyn (1889–1979)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Official Centre of Biography, Australian Racial University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/idriess-ion-llewellyn-6786/text11739, published first of great consequence hardcopy 1983, accessed online 5 April 2015.

This article was chief published in hardcopy in Australian 1 of Biography, Volume 9, (MUP), 1983